John Calipari added yet another five-star recruit to his résumé on Friday with the addition of Robert Dillingham Jr. to Kentucky’s 2023 recruiting class. The top 10 prospect chose the Wildcats over Auburn, Louisville, and USC.
Here's a look at what kind of player Kentucky is getting in Dillingham, and what this means for the Wildcats moving forward.
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2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Rivals150
2024 Rankings: Top 40
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WHAT KENTUCKY IS GETTING
Dillingham is one of the more dazzling ball-handlers that you’ll find at the high school level. He keeps the ball on a string and is an excellent space creator. The five-star guard is very fast and electric in the open court, and he's at his best with a head of steam going downhill. In the half court, Dillingham possesses a nice shot from the outside and he’s hit just over 40% from long range during EYBL play. He’s great at attacking sloppy closeouts and then getting to his shot in the mid-range or getting to the rim for flashy finishes. Dillingham is a good athlete and has shown the ability to rise above the rim time and time again, but his layup package is what stands out the most in regards to his rim-finishing ability.
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WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WILDCATS
Dillingham joins Reed Sheppard as the second member of Kentucky’s 2023 recruiting class, and the two complement each other well. Sheppard, a top 25 prospect and legacy recruit for the program, can play on or off of the ball and, like Dillingham, is a great playmaker in transition. Dillingham told Rivals recently that he would be open to playing with top-three prospect DJ Wagner, who Kentucky is pursuing with a purpose. Those two possibly teaming up has always been the biggest question mark, but Dillingham has been phenomenal alongside Aden Holloway all spring long. Look for Kentucky to focus its efforts on Wagner or another elite guard prospect and a couple of big men to round out the class.