Hickory native Rob Dillingham wanted this one: "My dad always wanted me to go to Carolina"

Mr. Shift himself grew up in Hickory, North Carolina, just two hours and change away from Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels were among Rob Dillingham‘s first offers back in December 2020, but things never really ramped up between the two sides from there. He would eventually commit to NC State, another local option, but he’ll admit there was love for light blue in his family’s heart.

“My dad always wanted me to go to Carolina,” Dillingham said Saturday.

The five-star guard would wind up at another blue blood — a rival of the hometown favorite. And he’d get his shot against the Heels in the CBS Sports Classic, a chance to show them what they’re missing in the correct shade of blue.

Was it personal?

“A little bit,” Dillingham said. “… But I take everything personal [laughs].”

The freshman standout would finish with a team-high 17 points on 6-16 shooting to go with three rebounds, one assist, one steal and a turnover in 25 minutes of action. 12 of those points would come in the second half where he was an efficient 5-9 overall and 1-3 from three. A clear half-to-half change Dillingham says is the result of a conversation with John Calipari at intermission.

“I just look at it as, like, I want to win the game. I started the game 2-10 (shooting), a turnover,” Dillingham said. “Coach Cal talked to me and made me realize I’ve got to slow down and have confidence. In the second half, I didn’t think about what I was doing in the first half, I just wanted to win. So I just tried making winning plays.”

The Hickory native had his moments. He took a few bad shots, had a turnover he’d like to have back, maybe a defensive slip-up here or there. But as Dillingham has proven time and time again this season, the reward simply outweighs the risk. And that’s a dynamic Calipari is quickly accepting.

No, it’s not always easy.

“He does (make me want to rip my hair out sometimes),” Coach Cal joked.

But that’s what happens when you coach an elite talent like Rob Dillingham.

“You’re coaching a kid that can create space and get a basket when he wants to. Do you clip his wings? You can’t. You’ve got to let him go,” Calipari said. “But, I give him two a half. The third, you’re coming out. You’re not going nuts. This isn’t the And-1 tape. Older people in here, you know what I mean. When I tell them that, they have no idea what I’m talking about. This isn’t And-1 tape where you’ve got to do five extra things and then pass it. … Why do you do that? ‘Because I do that sometimes.’ I gotta let some of that stuff go.

“… When you’ve got 19-year-olds, that stuff happens.”

Calipari sees the little things. There was one time Dillingham had a mismatch and could’ve driven in for the easy score, but settled for a bad three. “Why did you do that?” he said. But there were a dozen other high-level plays he made that make you live with that stuff.

And the freshman guard is thankful for that. He knows his style of play is an acquired taste, but Calipari has embraced that. Dillingham has returned the favor by being coachable and adapting to winning basketball. It’s unlocking the best version of his game, and both sides feel that.

“Since Canada to now, our relationship has grown so much,” Dillingham said of Calipari. “He still shows me that he has confidence in me, still lets me rock, but at the same time, he wants me to be more pro-like and make smarter decisions. Really, I’m just thankful for having him. He helps me while letting me be me.”

Above all else, though, Dillingham got what he hoped for out of the home-state matchup.

“I’m glad we got a dub.”