Jeffrey Kyle Sheppard is a retired American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional and collegiate

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player.

Sheppard was Player of the Year in Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 in 1993 at McIntosh High School

McIntosh High School

McIntosh High School is a comprehensive four-year public secondary school located in Peachtree City, Georgia.It has an enrollment of 1700+ students in grades nine through twelve....

 in Peachtree City

Peachtree City, Georgia

Peachtree City is a city in Fayette County, Georgia, United States.Census estimates in 2005 indicated a population of 34,524. In 2007, the city announced a plan to formally annex an unincorporated area between Georgia State Route 74 and the border with Coweta County that is commonly referred to as...

.

The 6' 3" (1.90 m) University of Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball

The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...

 guard (1993–1998

1997–98 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 1997–98 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team were coached by Tubby Smith. He was in his first season as head coach after taking over from Rick Pitino...

), was named Most Outstanding Player

NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player

At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships , the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team, especially since the third place game was eliminated after 1981...

 in the NCAA Tournament

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

 in San Antonio in 1998. He played on two national championship teams at the University of Kentucky under Rick Pitino

Rick Pitino

Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...

 in 1996 and under Tubby Smith

Tubby Smith

Orlando "Tubby" Smith is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the men's basketball head coach at the University of Minnesota...

 in 1998.

The success of his college basketball career did not carry over into the professional leagues in which he entered. He played briefly in the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 with the Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...

 during the 1998-99 season

1998-99 NBA season

The 1999 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association . Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999 after a new six year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association...

, averaging 2.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in only 18 games. He has since played professionally in Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 with Benetton Treviso

Pallacanestro Treviso

Pallacanestro Treviso, more often known by its sponsorship name of Benetton Basket, or Benetton Treviso, is an Italian Serie A League professional basketball club from Treviso, the headquarters city of its longtime owner Benetton Group...

 (1999-00) (won the Italian Cup), Cordivari Roseto

Roseto Basket

Roseto Basket also known as Roseto Sharks and Pallacanestro Roseto 1946 was an Italian professional basketball team from Roseto, Abruzzo, Italy that was established in 1946....

 (2000-01) and Würth Roma

Pallacanestro Virtus Roma

Pallacanestro Virtus Roma, also known for sponsorship reasons as Acea Virtus Roma, is a prominent Italian League professional basketball club, and is also currently one of 13 European clubs that hold ULEB A Licenses, which provide their holders with a guaranteed place in the Euroleague. The club...

 (2001). He played in the preseason games (but not in any regular season games) for the Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...

 in 2000. He cited the September 11 terrorist attacks as being a factor in his decision to retire from basketball.

Sheppard and his wife, the former Stacey Reed (herself a former Kentucky basketball player

Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball

The Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represent the University of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference, which has historically been the most dominant conference in women's basketball. However, despite reaching national rankings as high as #4, the team has never reached the national...

), now live with their two children in London, Kentucky

London, Kentucky

-Education:All of the following schools are administered by the Laurel County School District.-Primary schools:* * * * * * * * * * * * -High schools:* * -Colleges:* Laurel Technical College* * -Notable natives:...

. They own an apparel company and are involved with various community activities. Sheppard is also vice president for business development with Wazoo Sports, a regional television sports network concentrating on sports in Kentucky. In 2010, he was involved with a project to restore video and audio of Kentucky's 1958

1957–58 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 1957–58 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky. The Head Coach was Adolph Rupp. The team was a member of the Southeast Conference and played their home games at Memorial Coliseum...

national championship team.

External links

• About Jeff Sheppard @ mpcpromotions.com
• University of Kentucky stats @ ibiblio.org
• NBA stats @ NBA.com