Hockey may be Canada’s national sport, but that doesn’t matter to Michigan basketball wing Jevohn Shepherd.
- Angela Cesere
- Jevohn Shepherd hopes to have a successful summer in Europe with Team Canada. (AP photo)
This summer, Shepherd is representing his home country by playing for the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team.
Shepherd was selected as one of the 15 members of the team after a training camp held in Ontario’s Humber College. Twenty-one players were invited, and Shepherd was one of the seven NCAA players selected. Five of the remaining eight players chosen were from professional leagues overseas.
Though this may be his first time on the Senior Men’s National Team, it’s not his first experience playing for his country.
In 2005, he played for Canada for the Nike Hoop Summit where he notched 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in 25 minutes.
Shepherd also won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 2005 FIBA Under-21 World Championship.
Yesterday, Canada has finished up an exhibition tournament in Italy and will continue its European tour in Germany, where they will play a two game exhibition series against the Germans on July 28 (in Hamburg) and July 30 (in Nuremburg). The team will finish its summer season by participating in the International Alpos Cup in Maribor, Slovenia, where the team will square off against Venezuela, Lebanon and the host, Slovenia.
As a freshman last season with the Wolverines, Shepherd averaged 1.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 8.7 minutes while appearing in 26 games. He was mostly used off the bench by Michigan coach Tommy Amaker, but did start in three contests.
Shepherd made a splash in his first collegiate start in February against Purdue. After seeing additional playing time because of injuries acquired by his teammates, the Toronto native notched career-highs in points (9) and rebounds (6) against the Boilermakers.
Shepherd was used primarily as a high-energy player by Amaker, utilizing his speed as a weapon on the defensive end of the court. With the departure of seven seniors, he expects to see more consistent playing time as a sophomore for the Wolverines.
Notes: Former Michigan guard Daniel Horton wrapped up his first experience as a pro, completing the 2006 Pepsi Pro Summer league with the Miami Heat.
The Cedar Hill, Tex., native averaged slightly over five points and two assists per game, starting twice during the Heat’s 2-3 run.