Rob Dillingham becomes new face of Peach Jam, AAU coach: "Nothing surprises me about what he's able to do"

You can’t walk into Riverview Park Activities Center without seeing Rob Dillingham‘s face. He’s up on the walls and flying high on banners in every gym, up and down the hallways at the site of Peach Jam in North Augusta. The former Kentucky star is everywhere, sporting his old Team CP3 uniform dating back to his time on the Nike EYBL circuit, before he exploded as a top-10 draft pick and cornerstone of the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was where he first displayed his shiftiness and dazzling shot-making ability in front of college coaches — only younger and immature.

But his old coaches saw then what we’re all seeing today.

“Rob Dillingham at CP3 was the same player you see right now,” Team CP3 head coach Jon Adams told KSR at Peach Jam. “He was always spectacular with the ball in his hands, always played hard every possession. We really enjoyed having him for the two years he was with us.”

Dillingham averaged 15.2 points and 3.9 assists per game in his one-and-done campaign at Kentucky. He was electric both as a facilitator and scorer, putting poor defenders on skates all season long en route to SEC Sixth Man of the Year and All-SEC Second Team honors. The Wildcats were must-see TV largely in part due to the 6-3 guard’s production day in and day out.

Was any of it a surprise to the guy who watched him as closely as anyone during their couple of years together?

“No. Nothing surprises me about what he’s able to do offensively and defensively on a basketball court,” Adams said. “He’s an amazing, special talent. He’s an amazing talent.”

That’s just the raw talent, though. He obviously saw his game grow since his AAU days, Adams noticing some of Dillingham’s biggest changes coming off the floor and his approach to the game overall.

“One of the amazing things is his growth maturity-wise,” he said. “Having conversations with him about coming off the bench for Kentucky last year, accepting that role and owning it the way he did. That was amazing to see.”

When you have one of the most entertaining players to come through the high school ranks in recent memory, it’s hard to pinpoint one or two things that stood out most about your time together. He’s a living, breathing highlight reel — always has been, always will be.

“There are so many of them, how crafty he is with the basketball and making plays between people, popping up and shooting it. All of that stuff,” Adams said. “He did that multiple times in his two years with us.

Away from basketball, he joked that Dillingham just laughed constantly, a kid who lights up every room he’s in.

“He was always really funny, man,” he added. “He’s a happy kid, so anytime anybody did anything, he’d just laugh. His laugh is so funny. It was always that, his laugh.”

He trusted the vision and saw him at his best, never surprised by the production or flashes of brilliance. But did he truly see his path as a top-10 one-and-done coming to fruition less than a year after they played their final game together last July?

Well, he’d like to think so. And it was easier to believe it after seeing how things were going early in his time in Lexington.

But even then, Dillingham was really, really good. Top-10 good. That’s different than simply being confident and believing in your guy.

“I don’t know,” Adams said with a long pause. “I have to be honest, what he did at Kentucky in his first two months was amazing. He put on 25 pounds of muscle. Once I saw that, I was like, ‘Nah, if he can add that muscle and move the same way, he’s going to be pretty hard to stop.’ And that ended up being the case.”

What’s it like seeing the full-circle moment come together, Adams and Team CP3 back in North Augusta looking at Dillingham’s face all over the walls, now a clear part of the Timberwolves’ future plans?

“It’s amazing to see, man,” Adams said. “Blessings and hopes and wishes that he continues to have a great rookie year and a great career. It’s always great to see any of your players fulfill their dream.”