Rob Dillingham has something no one else does: "We don't have five Roberts"

Rob Dillingham became the only player in the last 25 seasons with 20 points off the bench in three straight games, going for 20 on 7-12 shooting and 4-5 from three in Kentucky‘s 109-77 win over Vanderbilt. You might as well hand him the SEC Sixth Man of the Year trophy now.

But it’s not just the scoring. The 6-3 freshman added nine assists with just one turnover while hauling in a trio of rebounds in 30 minutes. He paced the team with 13 points in the first half, then added seven with five dimes in the second. He balanced that fine line of three-level scorer and playmaking weapon like a tightrope.

And it was a winning recipe.

“For sure. In the first half, I hit some shots to get us up,” Dillingham said. “Over the course of the game, I’ve learned over the past few games, I need to get my teammates involved and help them have confidence in themselves.”

Dillingham became just the second player in the John Calipari era to go for 20 points and nine assists in a true road game, joining none other than Tyler Ulis — his student assistant and mentor on the bench.

How is he able to do what he does night in and night out? Calipari believes he’s got a unique understanding of when to take games over as a shooter or scorer and as a facilitator. To put it simply, he’s got stuff in his bag that nobody else has on the roster.

No disrespect, just honesty.

“We shared the ball. We’ve got a couple of guys playing the way they have to play for us and them to be successful,” he said. “When you drive, try to get somebody a shot. When they’re playing, they’re trying to get you a shot instead of, ‘I’m going to create my own.’ Robert can do that, but we don’t have, like, five Roberts.”

That’s a freedom that’s hard to come by in Lexington. Calipari’s advice to Dillingham?

Don’t screw it up.

“Now, what makes me mad is when he’s trying to shoot on three guys,” he said. “‘You didn’t have to. We’re letting you go, so don’t do that. Respect what we’re doing for you.'”

20 points on 12 shots with nine assists and one turnover is how you show respect. We’re certainly showing it right back.