The University of Kentucky really came into the spotlight last season as their men’s basketball team showed off their talents. While it wasn’t the best of seasons for the Wildcats, there were individual bright spots. One of them was Reed Sheppard. After pushing the team to an NCAA DI tournament appearance, the 19-year-old announced his intention to move to the NBA. Rightfully, he is being projected in the top ranks for the draft. Granted that he had one of the best coaches in college basketball, John Calipari, his real confidence just might have come from his truly supportive girlfriend, Brailey Dizney.

Reed Sheppard and Dizney disclosed their big secret by posting photos on their social media accounts back in 2021. Since then, Dizney has made several appearances in his games and openly showcased her support for the 6-ft-3 basketball player. Seemingly, the two have now been dating for at least three years. In fact, they have their fourth anniversary coming up in November. However, their story goes way back in time. Here is how Reed Sheppard wrote his love story through his family.

The fairytale love of Reed Sheppard

Brailey Dizney and Sheppard met through their parents. In fact, they unknowingly fell in love as the two families went for a recreational break in Holmes Beach, Florida. While both the youngsters are from London, Kentucky, they studied in two different high schools. Reed Sheppard’s alma mater is North Laurel High School, where he collected many records. These include the 2022 Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year, the 2023 McDonald’s All-American, and the 2023 Kentucky Mr. Basketball.

On the other hand, Dizney completed her high school in South Laurel, Kentucky. However, the summer trip to Florida turned out to be fruitful, as their love blossomed over time. Since then, the two have spent all the holidays together, gone on vacations, and even made some Christmas cards. Dizney and Sheppard have also attended senior prom together, looking perfectly fitting pieces of a puzzle in their complimentary outfits.

Now, however, the 19-year-old Dizney is making plans for her future opportunities. One of them might be modeling, as she has an attached link to her personal VSCO account on her open Instagram account. At the same time, Reed Sheppard is all-packed to move into the professional basketball world through the NBA draft. Here is how his prospects are looking for a life in the world’s toughest and most popular basketball league.

Looking into Reed Sheppard’s future

Although he was with the Wildcats for only one season, his impressive shooting skills have turned everyone’s eyes to him. While he did not start games for Calipari, the head coach could not resist bringing him on the floor because of his offensive prowess. In fact, even in the NBA Draft Combine event, he stunned everyone with his 3-point shooting. After that, many tracking reports shifted him from a sixth to the third draft pick in their mock drafts.

But his deep shots were not the only game-changer for him. During the athletic skill assessments in the draft combine, Reed Sheppard reached as high as 42 inches. In his conversation with Paul George on Podcast P, he confessed that the numbers were shocking to him as well. However, he did disclose the secret about his athletic trainer at Proactive helping him with a trick to reach higher than usual.

Currently, most mock drafts have him placing high on the list, with ESPN charting him at third. Seemingly, he is coming right under the two highly wanted top prospects– the Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr of Australia. With him coming at third, he is highly likely to go to the Houston Rockets who got the pick through the James Harden trade in 2021 via the Brooklyn Nets. Although the Rockets are quite young this year, they have incredibly improved their output. Including a sharpshooter like Reed Sheppard will definitely help them in their target to reach the playoffs next year.

In his lone season as a freshman in the UK, he averaged 12.5 points while shooting 53.6% from the field and 52.1% from beyond the arc. The Kentucky native led the NCAA DI men’s basketball in three-point percentage according to NBA’s website. He also added a total of 136 rebounds in one season, with an average of 4.1 rebounds per clip. Moreover, Reed Sheppard tied for the 88th position in the nation for averaging 4.5 assists per game. He wrapped up his college basketball career with 411 points and 148 assists.

The 2024 NBA draft is right around the corner, with its first round marked for June 26. The event will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Keep your eyes out for this young talent as he steps into the pro league.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.