Ben Sheppard at SLU

Ben Sheppard

 Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

It’s become apparent for a while now that Belmont University’s Ben Sheppard is likely be selected in the NBA Draft on June 22.

The question now: How high will he go?

Up until a few weeks ago, almost every NBA draft analyst figured Sheppard, a 6-6, 195-pound shooting guard from Atlanta, would be picked in the second round.

But thanks in part to a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine in mid-May, Sheppard is now considered by some as a first-round pick.

Should that happen, Sheppard would become Belmont’s second first-round selection in the past five years, as the Cleveland Cavaliers selected forward Dylan Windler in the first round (26th overall) of the 2019 draft.

The Athletic’s most recent mock draft had Sheppard as a second-round selection, taken by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 47th overall pick. The NBA Draft Room projects Sheppard to go early in the second round, 34th to the Charlotte Hornets.

But at least two other sites now list Sheppard as a first-round selection.

SI.com has Sheppard going 28th overall, to the Utah Jazz, and offered this prospect profile:

“Sheppard feels like a real sleeper in this class, being a jumbo guard with shooting touch and the length to defend at a high level. He has a good feel for the game given he has played point guard in the past, so he has lead guard skills but is more of an NBA off-ball guard or wing with his size.”

Bleacher Report ups the ante on Sheppard in its most recent mock draft, forecasting the Miami Heat to take Sheppard at No. 18 overall.

“Interest in Sheppard has snowballed since the NBA combine, as he now has teams with picks in the teens bringing him in for workouts,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman wrote. “Scouts and executives suddenly started to take his 18.8 points and 58.2 true shooting percentage at Belmont more seriously after he torched groups of second-round prospects in Chicago. Sharp pick-and-roll offense and shooting versatility are earning Sheppard legitimate consideration in the mid-to-late first round.”

Sheppard was named to the all-Missouri Valley Conference team last season at Belmont after averaging 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He shot 48 percent from the field overall and 42 percent from three-point range.

In Sheppard’s first scrimmage against elite prospects at the NBA combine, he totaled 10 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal.

But Sheppard truly opened some eyes in his second scrimmage, when he scored a game-high 25 points, hitting on eight-of-10 shots overall and three-of-five from three-point range. He added four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot.

Sheppard has reportedly worked out for multiple NBA teams, including Atlanta, Golden State, Indiana, New Orleans, Portland, Sacramento and Utah.