5-star PG Rob Dillingham: "I'm ready to make a decision."

One of the top point guards in the rising senior class is ready to make a final decision. 2023 five-star guard Robert Dillingham of Donda Academy (CA) will be committing in the coming weeks, he tells KSR, with Kentucky seen as the overwhelming favorite down the home stretch.

Dillingham decommitted from North Carolina State back in March, a decision that didn’t come lightly. At the time of his commitment, he felt joining the Wolfpack was the right decision, especially considering it was close to home as a native of Hickory, North Caroina. When push came to shove, though, the five-star guard simply didn’t think the fit was the right one.

“I didn’t really want to decommit. I liked NC State and wanted to stay home,” he told KSR. “The recruits that were coming in with me, we just didn’t have a lot of recruits. They wanted me to reclass up, it was just a lot. I feel like a lot (of pressure) will be taken off (when I commit).”

Now, it’s time to choose a new school.

“I’m pretty sure I’m ready to make a decision,” he added. “It’s never too early, never too late. I just feel like I’m ready and the program I choose will be a good fit for me.”

A source close to Dillingham tells KSR that June 24 is the target commitment date, though the top-10 prospect says nothing has been finalized on that front. He did confirm, however, that his announcement was expected to come in June.

“I’ve seen that. It’s not set in stone, I’m not sure how they got the exact date,” Dillingham said. “Maybe around that time, but I’m not sure of that exact date. It’ll be next month at some point.”

Kentucky is widely seen as the overwhelming favorite in his recruitment, though other schools remain in contact. Among them?

“I’ve been talking to Memphis, Kentucky, Louisville, USC and Arkansas recently. A little bit of Arkansas,” Dillingham said. “Those have been the most recent five I’ve been talking to.”

The big name is Kentucky, a program previously seen as a top contender during the first run of his recruitment. Given a second chance following his decommitment from NC State, UK is right back in the thick of things, with the Wildcats currently leading in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine at 80.8%.

“It definitely means a lot,” Dillingham said of Kentucky’s new interest. “They were heavy on me, recruiting me before I committed to NC State. … Really just being an impact player as soon as I come in. That’s what I talk to them about. If DJ (Wagner) were to go there, we’d both be impact players. That’s the role they see me having.”

It’s a Kentucky vs. Louisville battle for Wagner, with the Cardinals emerging as a legitimate threat following the hire of head coach Kenny Payne. That only ramped up with the addition of Milt Wagner, the five-star guard’s grandfather, on staff.

Should Dillingham choose Kentucky, he’d be happy to team up with the nation’s top-ranked guard in Wagner.

“For sure (I’d play with DJ),” he said. “I feel like I’m an unselfish player and can play with anyone, adapt to how they play. He’s a bucket just like me. Playing with Aden (Hollaway on Team CP3), it’s the same thing. I let him hoop, and I can play with anyone who is a smart guard, honestly. … He’s a great player for sure. Me and him together, we’re both playmakers, we could play off each other.”

That’s not just at Kentucky, either. Louisville is also recruiting Dillingham alongside Wagner, and the former would be open to a pairing with the Cardinals, as well.

“I talk to Coach Nolan (Smith) and Coach Kenny (Payne),” he said. “It’s the same thing, coming in and being an impact player as soon as I come in. DJ has some interest in going there too, so it’s the same thing with him also.”

Beyond Kentucky and Louisville, Memphis is also a program that intrigues the standout guard.

“I love Coach Penny (Hardaway), I’m not going to lie,” Dillingham added. “He’s a good dude, and he’s done it before, so you’ve got to listen to him. He’s one of the best point guards of all time.”

Could the professional route interest Dillingham?

“Not really,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to going to college. I feel like that was meant for me, going to college. People have been doing it in the past and I grew up wanting to do that my whole. And the NIL is crazy for sure.”

There has also been buzz about a potential reclassification to 2022, something Dillingham didn’t completely shut the door on. He did, however, say his preference is to stay in his current class.

“I’m probably not going to reclass because I’m a smaller guard,” he said. “I want to be able to go to college and dominate, so I’m going to use the offseason get bigger and work out.”

What are his goals once he arrives on campus, regardless of when that day comes?

“I definitely see myself being a top player in college, definitely getting deep in March Madness, that’s my goal,” Dillingham told KSR. “I feel like I already know I’m going to get drafted because I’m going to put in the work — I promise. It’s really just the accolades that come with going to a school, winning improves your draft stock.”

Those factors will impact his final decision, with winning early and often being a top priority for the five-star guard.

“Being able to win, being on a team with players that can make me better so I can go to the NBA in one year. That’s really my goal,” he said. “The colleges I talk to, that’s their goal (for me) too. As long as I put in the work, that can be my goal.”

The next step is making it official, a decision that is coming in the next few weeks. Regardless of the date itself, Dillingham says he has the commitment announcement details ready to go.

“I’ve already got my announcement set,” he said. “It’s going to be lit for sure.”

Dillingham is rated as the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 1 point guard in the On3 Consensus. Could he become Kentucky’s next commitment in the class of 2023? It’s trending that direction.