The presence of the Kentucky Wildcats will be prominent at the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft Combine, as four players previously mentored by John Calipari have secured invitations to join the 78-player cohort in Chicago. Each of these athletes aspires to be chosen during the main event in New York City.

Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards, and Antonio Reeves have all demonstrated their capabilities during the Wildcats’ brief stint in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, earning them a spot in this prestigious gathering. Here’s a brief overview of these individuals and whether pundits anticipate their transition to professional basketball in the NBA.

Reed Sheppard

Freshman Reed Sheppard from London, KY, is first on this list, well- known for his sweet-shooting game despite only spending one season in Lexington. He shot an insanely elite 52.1% from 3-point land last season, with his catch-and-shoot attempts at a cool 51.4%.
It could be this fact alone that’s going to likely get him picked as the first shooter out of the lottery at potentially the fourth overall pick (via Bleacher Report).

In an NBA where floor spacing is critical, Sheppard is an absolutely hot commodity. But that will only be just one reason for him to get picked, as he’s also an excellent perimeter defender and great passer.

Reed Sheppard averaged another elite clip in steals per game (2.5) and a respectable 4.5 assists per game. It’s his all-around perimeter play that has got analysts comparing him with former Bulls star Kirk Hinrich

Rob Dillingham

Another mock draft has Rob Dillingham being picked at 12th overall by the OKC Thunder (via The Ringer).

This is more or less a respectable position for him, as he already averaged above 15 PPG as a freshman for Kentucky. He helped banner the Wildcats’ third-best offense in the nation as their second-best scorer, behind Antonio Reeves.

An SEC Sixth Man of the Year winner, Dillingham made his name as a combo guard who can score and pass in equal measure. He also has the skillset to create his own shot when he needs to and has some good length at six-foot-three for his position

He’s not the heftiest guard out there, but he hasn’t had much trouble finishing strong around the basket despite being 176 lbs
Scoring-wise, he has shown a knack for finishing coast to coast and boasts an excellent 44.4% shooting clip from downtown. These facts alone make him a consensus first-round pick, and it’s not difficult to see why.

Justin Edwards

Another freshman from Lexington, Justin Edwards is not going to wow anyone with his stats for Kentucky last season.

He only averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 32 games, but perhaps it’s his physical gifts and overall upsides that are more than enough for NBA teams to take a chance.
Edwards is projected to be at most a second-rounder likely due to his meager freshman year numbers. But maybe a young team who has a second round pick is going to be a great fit. He has got great size and scoring skills for a wing at six-foot-eight, 230 lbs, meaning he will likely be able to thrive in today’s wing-heavy game.

Antonio Reeves

John Calipari’s best scorer in that 2023-2024 Kentucky squad was Antonio Reeves, who averaged an excellent 20.2 points to go along with 4.2 rebounds per game. A former Illinois State transfer, Reeves started all 33 games and basically was the clear best player on the Wildcats all year.

The biggest asset in his game should be his incredibly efficient scoring, especially for a guard. He shot 51.2% from the field in the season and an elite 44.7% from three-point land. He achieved this on around 13 shots a game and almost six attempts from deep. Scoring is one thing, but to do it efficiently at his position is not something you see everyday
He’s also a prototypical big guard at six-foot-six, meaning he’s got length to still be effective on defense even if the numbers might not show it. Like Justin Edwards, he’s projected to be a late second-rounder at most, but things could change on draft day.