Findlay alum Shepard aims for consistency with San Diego State

Just over three years ago, Findlay Prep forward Winston Shepard made waves in the college basketball recruiting world by decommitting from the University of Texas to play at San Diego State.

The No. 21 ranked recruit in the class of 2012, according to Rivals.com, Shepard was the Aztecs' highest ranked basketball recruit in school history.

Three years, 80 wins and three NCAA Tournament berths later, the former Pilot is pleased with his college career, but still hungry, he said.

Shepard's goals of wanting "so bad" to both lead the Aztecs to a deep NCAA tournament run and prove he is the program's best-ever recruit, remain unfulfilled, he said.

But 2015-2016 might be different.

"Every year has been great, but this season I feel like we have guys that are more or less pros," Shepard said Wednesday at the Mountain West media days at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel. "It's easy to say a team is going to be special, especially in the preseason. But, I really believe it."

With a team-high 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds as a junior last season, Shepard led the Aztecs to a 27-9 record and a third round berth in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, earning second-team all-Mountain West honors along the way.

Shepard could have entered June's NBA Draft, but decided to return for his senior season when NBA scouts projected him as a second-round pick.

He came back to San Diego State because he wanted to improve his draft stock, he said. Another shot at an NCAA championship and the chance to earn his degree didn't hurt, either.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about the future," Shepard said. "But coming back was the right move for me."

San Diego State coach Steve Fisher agrees, he said Wednesday, calling Shepard's decision to return "mature."

When the Findlay product first arrived on campus, Shepard struggled through the pressure of "unrealistically high expectations," Fisher said. Through his three-year career with San Diego State, his play was often "compromised."

"Off the court he had a tendency to worry about what happened and not move into the next play," Fisher explained. "Worried about what people might write, what they might say or post on Twitter. Just things he had no control over."

But as Shepard enters his senior year, both the player and coach said his head is in the right place.

During two interviews totaling 10 minutes on Wednesday, Shepard used a form of the word 'consistent' a total of 15 times.

"I feel like there was never any question about my talent," Shepard said. "I have all of the tools, size, athleticism, skill. It's just a matter of being consistent, doing it every night having an open mindset. I feel like I'm ready to do that."

With the Aztecs projected to again finish first in the Mountain West, Fisher said the timing couldn't be better for Shepard to have the best season of his career.

And, if he can keep his head in the right place, that might just happen, the coach said.

"He's reached the point where he doesn't personalize or read into as much about outside opinions," Fisher said. "He leads by example but he's also very vocal with his teammates."

"We're looking forward to what he can bring this year," Fisher added, "and I'm very proud of him."

Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4593. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj