The 2024 NBA Draft is now less than three weeks away.
Chris Fisher
A pair of Kentucky guards were among 20 prospects to receive 2024 NBA Draft superlatives from ESPN.
Rob Dillingham was named the draft's best ball handler.
"Dillingham's jittery handle, burst and explosive change of gear makes it difficult for opponents to stay in front of him. He has a wide array of elusive moves at his disposal, including herky-jerky crossovers, double crossovers, in-and-out dribbles, behind-the-back dribbles and more, which he combines with sharp changes of speed, accelerating from slow to fast with either hand to take the paint and finish with touch around the rim," wrote ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
"The threat of his pull-up jumper, as well as his ability to probe, use or reject ball screens gives the ESPN Top 100 No. 7 Dillingham great potential manipulating opposing defenses. He will be even more of a threat with the plethora of space he'll enjoy in the NBA."
Reed Sheppard took home best shooter.
"Sheppard gave defenses headaches at Kentucky with absurdly consistent shot-making prowess, hitting 56 of his 109 catch-and-shoot attempts (per Synergy) and shooting 51.4% on the season from long range. His release is compact and consistent, with minimal dip and wasted motion, and his lower-body balance and shot-prep habits are excellent, giving him a high-level skill that should translate to NBA range," wrote ESPN's Jeremy Woo.
"Sheppard, ranked No. 4 in ESPN's Top 100, looks comfortable from all over the arc, and has a great baseline to keep improving, with room to hone his shot even more off the bounce if he can gain separation at a higher level. 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. But there's a very legitimate shooting profile here that could also see him become more of an off-ball threat if needed."
Dillingham, who declared for the NBA Draft while forgoing his remaining eligibility on April 9, was named SEC Sixth Man of the Year, Second Team All-SEC by the league's coaches and to the All-Freshman Team after averaging 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 44.4% from beyond the arc and 79.6% from the free throw line off the bench.
Dillingham finished the season ranked in the top 20 all-time at Kentucky among freshmen in four statistical categories: fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (44.9), eighth in made 3s (64), 12th in assists (124) and 17th in points scored (486).
He posted eight games of 20 or more points, highlighted by a career-high 35 points on 14 of 20 shooting and 6 of 8 three-pointers in a January loss to No. 5 Tennessee. Dillingham also finished with 27 points and 7 assists in a loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament.
Coming out of Overtime Elite in Atlanta, Dillingham was ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect and No. 3 point guard in the 2023 class according to the industry average 247Sports Composite.
Sheppard, who declared for the NBA Draft while forgoing his remaining eligibility on April 18, joined John Wall (2010) and Anthony Davis (2012) as the third USBWA National Freshman of the Year at Kentucky after averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals in 28.9 minutes per game while shooting 53.6% from the floor, 52.1% from 3 and 83.1% from the free throw line off the bench. He was also named National Freshman of the Year by the NABC, CBS Sports, ESPN, and Dick Vitale in addition to being voted SEC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-SEC by both the Associated Press and league coaches.
Sheppard finished the season ranked in the top 10 all-time at Kentucky among freshmen in five statistical categories: first in 3-point field goal percentage (52.1), second in steals (82), fifth in made 3s (75), eighth in assists (148), and ninth in free throw percentage (83.1). He was also the first player in school history with three games of 25+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a single-season.
Per KenPom.com, Sheppard led the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, ranked sixth in true-shooting percentage (69.9%) and eighth in effective field-goal percentage (67.9%). He was the only player in the country with at least 145 assists, 80 steals and 70 made 3s through March 24.
On the season, Sheppard, who posted seven 20-point games, could become the highest native Kentuckian to play for UK taken in the NBA Draft since Rex Chapman went No. 8 overall to the Charlotte Hornets in 1988.
Coming out of North Laurel High School in London, Ky., Sheppard was named a McDonald's All-American and was ranked No. 43 overall in the 2023 class by the industry average 247Sports Composite.
Since 2010, no school has produced more No. 1 overall picks (3), top-10 picks (15), lottery picks (23), first round picks (35) and total NBA Draft picks (47) than Kentucky. Since the NBA went to a two-round draft in 1989, the Wildcats now have the most players drafted overall with 63, 46 of which have come in the first round. UK has also had at least one player drafted in 16 consecutive drafts, the longest active streak of any school, and a first round pick in 14 straight drafts, the longest streak in the common era. The Cats have produced multiple draft picks in 14 consecutive drafts.
The 2024 NBA Draft will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn June 26-27.
