Ben Sheppard

Sheppard is an American guard who has developed into a rotation player for the Indiana Pacers after being selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft out of Belmont University. He spent four seasons with the Bruins, ascending from a freshman reserve to a senior leader on a team that competed in the Missouri Valley Conference. His selection by the Pacers represented the culmination of a steady collegiate climb and a proven shooting profile that Indiana targeted on draft night.

Born on July 16, 2001, Sheppard grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended Greater Atlanta Christian School. As a junior, he averaged 13.7 points per game and helped the Spartans win the Class AAA state championship. The success at the high school level established him as a prospect capable of contributing on winning teams, and he carried that experience into his college career at Belmont.

Sheppard appeared in 32 games as a Belmont freshman, averaging 2.9 points in a reserve role. He became a starter as a sophomore and averaged 10.5 points per game. As a junior, he was named first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference after averaging 16.2 points. Following the program's conference move, he earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as a senior while averaging 18.8 points per game. His gradual offensive improvement across four seasons demonstrated consistency and a capacity to adjust to increased defensive attention.

The Indiana Pacers selected Sheppard with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft. On July 1, 2023, he signed his rookie contract with the Pacers alongside the team's other first-round pick, Jarace Walker, who was selected eighth overall. Sheppard entered an Indiana backcourt that featured Tyrese Haliburton and sought shooting and defensive depth on the wing.

Sheppard is a shooting guard with a compact frame, reliable perimeter shooting, and defensive discipline. At Belmont, he improved his three-point range and free-throw accuracy while maintaining high shooting percentages. He moves well without the ball, finds open spots in transition, and understands spacing within a structured offense. Defensively, he uses positioning and footwork rather than elite athleticism, keeping opponents in front of him and contesting without fouling excessively.

Sheppard enters the 2025–26 season as an Indiana Pacers guard with a four-year Belmont career that included All-OVC and All-MVC honors, a Georgia high school state title, and a first-round draft selection. His path from a Class AAA championship at Greater Atlanta Christian through a gradual ascent at Belmont and into the Pacers rotation reflects a developmental trajectory built on shooting consistency, defensive effort, and incremental offensive expansion.