Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard among NBA Draft Green Room invitees

Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard was invited to the NBA Draft Green Room as he expected to hear his name called within the first five picks.

Mar 6, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Reed Sheppard (15) fives forward Aaron Bradshaw (2) during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Reed Sheppard (15) fives forward Aaron Bradshaw (2) during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports | Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Reed Sheppard burst onto the scene as a freshman at Kentucky, much quicker than scouts and opposing coaches belived he would. 

Despite starting just five games, Sheppard averaged 12.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 52.1 percent from three. He hit 75 3s last year.

His play, and most importantly his skillset as a shooter, became extremely appealing to the NBA.

On Tuesday, that intrigue came to fruition as Sheppard received an invite to the NBA Draft Green Room -- an invite typically given for projected lottery picks and top projected selections in the NBA Draft.

Sheppard has seen his name anywhere from No. 1 overall to No. 8 -- at the lowest -- in mock drafts. Typically he's been pretty consistent around the 3-5 range.

However, following the last month of workouts and the NBA Draft Combine, 'several' NBA teams have graded Sheppard as their best available player, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Where is the best fit for Sheppard? Everyone has their take, and in just a few weeks we'll be able to see which team thinks he fits best in their system.

"His ability to space the floor away from the ball simplifies his path into a role quite a bit, with his ceiling tied to how much he can expand his game as a handler," ESPN Draft analyst Jeremy Woo wrote this past week. "But there's a very legitimate shooting profile here that could also see him become more of an off-ball threat if needed."

The NBA Draft is set for June 26-27.