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QuoteReed, Jeff and Stacey Sheppard all threw on their Derby-best on the first Saturday in May to attend Kentucky Derby 150, the former Wildcat superstar walking the red carpet rocking UK blue with his parents by his side.

After getting settled in at Churchill Downs, the Sheppards caught up with WAVE 3's Kendrick Haskins:

"We wanted Reed to have fun throughout the whole process. We weren't expecting to be here this quick, but this is where we are and he did a good job," Jeff said. "He took it one step at a time and it was neat to go through this as a family. Hard decision for Reed to make, but ultimately, we're excited for him and looking forward to his future."

As for Reed's take, he admits he struggled giving up his dream of winning a national championship wearing blue and white as a Wildcat, but knows his ultimate dream — like all basketball players — is to play in the NBA. The league officially gave him a top-10 draft grade on Friday, confirming everything we all saw with our own eyes:

"I'm very excited. It was tough, it was a tough decision, for sure," Reed said. "Growing up, it was always a dream to play at Kentucky. Being able to do that this year and not really knowing what to expect, coming in wanting to do whatever it took to win and just have fun with it like my mom and dad were both saying. But at the end of the day, it was also a dream to play in the NBA.

"This year was unbelievable, it's something I'll never forget. I'm super excited for the next step."

And yes, Pope tried to get Sheppard to stick around for another season. He knew pretty quickly, though, the star guard's mind was made up and he was ready to take on the next challenge.