VANCOUVER – UBC men's basketball and UBC Athletics are proud to announce the signing of Grant Shephard, a 6'10" forward from Montverde Academy – Private College Preparatory School in Florida, USA.
Shephard played his grade 11 year for the Kelowna Owls, leading the squad to the 2016 quad-A title. Shephard was named both Tournament MVP and Player of the Game, after scoring 31 points and grabbing 22 rebounds in the Owls' 87-72 victory over Tamanawis (Surrey) in the 2016 quad-A championship game.
For his grade 12 season, Shephard played at Montverde Academy in Florida, USA. Shephard helped the Eagles to a 26-5 overall record and a second place finish at the Dick's Sporting Goods High School Nationals.
Some notable alumni of Montverde Academy include NBA star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) and NBA 2016 first overall draft choice Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers).
"I've made the decision to continue both my basketball and academic career at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The amount of positive elements and attributes I recognized during my visit to UBC's campus, such as the proximity of the university to my family and friends, as well as the basketball opportunities that the university has to offer made it the perfect fit for me," says Shephard. "I'd like to thank the coaches and staff at Montverde Academy for all their help and support along my journey. I'd also like to thank Harry Parmar and his staff at Kelowna Secondary School Owls for all their tutelage and support during my two years with the Owls. I'm very excited to play for the Thunderbirds, UBC head coach
Kevin Hanson and his staff and become a part of the close basketball family at UBC."
"This is an incredible day for UBC Basketball. Getting a player as high profile and as highly skilled as Grant is truly a remarkable day for our program," says UBC head coach
Kevin Hanson. "Despite Grant having several offers from NCAA Division 1 schools, he decided playing and studying at UBC was the right fit for him. He is a special player, a special person, which makes this a special day for UBC basketball."
Shephard intends to study Sciences at UBC with the possible intention of pursuing a degree from the UBC School of Kinesiology.
