Belmont’s Ben Sheppard Predicted As First Round Pick In NBA Mock Drafts

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Ben Sheppard. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont’s Ben Sheppard is on the verge of being just the second player in Bruins history to be drafted in the NBA Draft as many mock drafts have him selected late in the first round.

Dylan Windler was the first Belmont star to get drafted when he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 26th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. After a fantastic career at Belmont, Sheppard is poised to follow in Windler’s footsteps as he continues to impress NBA scouts and coaches.

Last season, Sheppard averaged 18.8 points per game (ppg) and 5.2 rebounds per game (rpg). He finished his Belmont career averaging 12.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg and shot 47. 5 percent. Sheppard was runner-up for the Larry Bird Trophy, which is given to the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of Year.

A mock draft by SB Nation has Sheppard being selected No. 29 overall by the Indiana Pacers, who he worked out with just a few weeks ago.

The Pacers seem to be a popular prediction for where Sheppard may land as Yahoo Sports also has the Atlanta, Georgia native get picked up by Indiana with the No. 26 overall pick. This year, the Pacers have two selections in the first round with the No. 26 and No. 29 overall picks, allowing them the luxury to take two solid players in the first round.

ESPN’s most recent mock draft also has Sheppard as the Pacers’ No. 29 overall selection, seemingly confirming this as the most likely outcome if no crazy draft day trades or antics occur.

NBA Draft.net’s most recent mock draft also has Sheppard going in the first round, but to the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 30th overall pick.

However, the Athletic’s Top 100 NBA Draft Prospects and Final Rankings  has Sheppard as the 28th best prospect overall, after predicting he will go No. 44 overall in the second in a mock draft from early May. The Athletic complimented Sheppards ‘3 and D’ potential plus his great wingspan. He has a high basketball IQ, and his three years of starting experience at a school like Belmont will only help him impress scouts and coaches.

The 2023 NBA Draft is set for Thursday, June 22 at 7 p.m. CT at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York  and air on ABC and ESPN.

Steven Boero
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