Ben Sheppard (basketball)

Benjamin Lee Sheppard is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for the Belmont Bruins before being selected by the Pacers in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft.

Early life and high school career

Sheppard grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended Greater Atlanta Christian School. He averaged 13.7 points per game during his junior season as GAC won the Class AAA State Championship.

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. Sheppard was named first team All-Ohio Valley Conference as a junior after averaging 16.2 points per game. 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.

Professional career

The Indiana Pacers selected Sheppard in the first round with the 26th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. On July 1, 2023, Sheppard signed his rookie contract with the Pacers alongside the 8th overall pick Jarace Walker.