Mark Pope's hidden advantage to bring Reed Sheppard back to Kentucky revealed

The departure of a long-time and well-respected coach like John Calipari always has the potential to throw a program into turmoil. The Wildcats moved quickly to hire BYU head coach and Kentucky alum Mark Pope as his replacement but star guard Rob Dillingham has already declared for the draft and high-profile guard DJ Wagner has announced his intention to transfer. That leaves guard Reed Sheppard as the most important player from last season's squad who has yet to declare his intentions.

Sheppard was one of the brightest stars for the Wildcats this season, averaging 12.1 points, 4.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, shooting 52.3 percent from beyond the arc and playing tough, disciplined defense at the point of attack. His well-rounded and versatile game made him the kind of two-way connector who can fill in the gaps around talented teammates and make everyone better.

The Wildcats' season ended earlier than they would have hoped but Sheppard stock has remained incredible high. He's the No. 4 prospect on our latest NBA Draft Big Board and if he did decide to enter the transfer portal instead of turning pro, he'd immediately be one of the most sought-after players.

But Kentucky fans can feel reasonably confident about their chances of keeping him.

Mark Pope has a years-long relationship with Reed Sheppard and his family

Pope played for Kentucky for two years, helping lead them to a National Championship in 1996. In both of those seasons, he was teammates with Reed Sheppard's father, Jeff Sheppard. The elder Sheppard talked about his own relationship with Pope and the deep family connection on a recent episode of BBN Tonight (h/t On3.com)

“Mark Pope has known Reed Sheppard since Reed was a little bitty fella. When Mark was an assistant coach at, long time ago when Reed was six, seven years old? Pope boasts that he was the first coach to do an in-house visit for Reed at seven years old and holds that on his resumé.”

That family relationship with Pope may not be enough to keep Sheppard from entering his name in the NBA Draft but it could have a big effect on keeping him out of the transfer portal if he does decide to stay in college. He has until Apr. 27 to declare for the draft but even if he does declare, he can go through the workout and combine process and still withdraw by June 16 to return to school with no penalties.