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John Marshall’s ‘Baby-faced Bomber’ morphs into ‘J-Rock’

Fred Jeter | 12/18/2015, 6:02 a.m.
It seems fitting Jeremy Carter-Sheppard goes by two surnames. That’s because he’s about twice as hard to guard as most …

It seems fitting Jeremy Carter-Sheppard goes by two surnames. That’s because he’s about twice as hard to guard as most teenagers.

John Marshall High School’s hyphenated hero can wow you in so many ways.

John Marshall Coach Ty White was asked if his senior star was most effective popping from outside, driving to the basket or dishing to teammates. Coach White’s quick reply: “All of the above.”

“Jeremy has the reputation as the great outside shooter,” said Coach White. “But what is really amazing is how he has progressed as a ball handler. He’s the best in the area, hands down.”

The cool, confident 6-foot-1, 170-pounder heads into his final North Side go-round already approaching 1,000 points and 200 three-pointers.

No longer is he the spindly “Baby-faced Bomber” (his old nickname), who was primarily a long-range shooter.

Now he goes by “J-Rock,” befitting his wider shoulders and stronger court presence. He has expanded his repertoire in three seasons on John Marshall’s varsity team and in top-tier AAU competition with Team Loaded.  

“There are several ways I can score the ball,” he said. “I’ve gotten older, stronger. I can switch it up and get to the rack now if I need to. I can dunk with two hands now.”

Carter-Sheppard says his 12th-grade goals are “to win everything,” with the State 3A title atop the wish list.

That means slipping past across-the-James rival George Wythe High School, the reigning 3A champion.

“We’re not happy with the way last season went,” said Carter-Sheppard. “We’ve got some things to work on and need to stick together.”

After winning the State 3A crown in 2014, when Carter-Sheppard was State Player of the Year, John Marshall was a disappointing 18-5 a year ago.

Dealt a lesson in humility, the Justices were eliminated by George Wythe in conference playoffs.

Although Carter-Sheppard has been in the mix at John Marshall since 2012, when he was a 5-foot-8 freshman, here are some “Jeremy facts” people may not know.

He is the son of Jermaine Sheppard, a former John Marshall basketball player, and Lisa Carter, who played in the John Marshall marching band.

An older brother, Corey Sheppard, played at Huguenot High School and later at Eastern Mennonite University.

His cousin, Crystal Smith, scored 1,300 points for Meadowbrook High School and tossed in another 1,125 points for Longwood University.

Carter-Sheppard has signed with Central Florida University in Orlando, a member of the American Athletic Conference.

“I’ve got relatives living near Orlando,” he said. “We used to go to Disney for family vacations. I love it down there.”

Next season, he hopes to join 7-foot-6 Tacko Falls on the CFU roster. “Tacko was my tour guide on my campus visit. He’s a funny guy,” said Carter-Sheppard.

While “J-Rock” shoots right-handed, he eats, writes and brushes his teeth with his left hand.

“I’m ambidextrous,” he says.     

Carter-Sheppard attended Manchester Middle School in Chesterfield County and lived in the district to attend Meadowbrook High School. He since has moved with his grandmother, Teresa Owens, in Richmond.

Excelling in the classroom, he earned an A last year in algebra II. His current academic load includes geometry and French III.

He jokes that the French word for three, “trois,” fit his hoops role as a three-point bombardier.

Carter-Sheppard, who wears jersey No. 2, is no one-man gang. His teammates include bruising 6-foot-6, third-year starter Greg Jones; 6-foot-4 Xavier Trent, the “X Factor”, and 6-foot-7 Isaiah Anderson, John Marshall’s football quarterback.

Also, two promising freshman guards, Levar Allen and Demar McRae, figure into Coach White’s plans.

John Marshall also boasts some of the premier all-purpose guards in Richmond annals, such as Joe Barnes, Jerome Bell, Ed Sherod and LaMar Taylor from the past, and more recently, Willie Mangum IV, Justin Lewis and Quaman Burton.

Now it’s Carter-Sheppard’s turn. Trying to check him is like having two headaches at the same time.