Ben Sheppard (basketball)
American basketball player (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benjamin Lee Sheppard (born July 16, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Belmont Bruins before being selected by the Pacers in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft.
| No. 26 – Indiana Pacers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 16, 2001 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Georgia) |
| College | Belmont (2019–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: 1st round, 26th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Indiana Pacers |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Indiana Pacers |
| 2023–2024 | →Indiana Mad Ants |
| Career highlights | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life and high school career
Sheppard grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC).[1] He averaged 13.7 points per game during his junior season as GAC won the Class AAA State Championship.[2]
College career
Sheppard played in 32 games averaging 2.9 points during his freshman season at Belmont. He became a starter going into his sophomore year and averaged 10.5 points on the year.[3] Sheppard was named first team All-Ohio Valley Conference as a junior after averaging 16.2 points per game.[4] He was named first team All-Missouri Valley Conference, to which the Bruins had moved, as a senior after averaging 18.8 points per game.[5][6]
Professional career
The Indiana Pacers selected Sheppard in the first round with the 26th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.[7] On July 1, 2023, Sheppard signed his rookie contract with the Pacers alongside the 8th overall pick Jarace Walker.[8]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |