Rob Dillingham says his game-winner didn't fall "because it's going to go in March"

Rob Dillingham was this close to becoming a Kentucky basketball legend in College Station. The freshman guard subbed in with 2:23 to go and immediately drilled a three to cut the deficit to one with 2:11 on the clock. Next time down the floor? Dagger three, responding to Wade Taylor IV’s make from deep on the other end to bring it back down to one.

And then with just over a minute left on the clock, Dillingham pulled up in transition, bang, tie game.

At 87-87, it felt like we were trending toward his larger-than-life moment. His Aaron Harrison game-winner or Malik Monk go-ahead three-ball.

He had his first chance, Kentucky ball with 27 seconds to go, dribbling out the clock to set up the big shot. Then he passed it to DJ Wagner, leading to a turnover and pair of free throws the other direction. Brush it off, move on. Ball back with a shot to win it.

Dillingham got the look with three seconds to go, right on target. And from the moment it left his hands, he’ll admit he thought it was in.

“Yeah, yeah yeah,” he said.

And then it rimmed out, setting up an offensive rebound and foul for Reed Sheppard. He drilled both free throws to send it to overtime, but it wouldn’t be enough to seal it in the long run.

Dillingham’s moment at the end of regulation was the closest Kentucky had to breaking hearts at Texas A&M. It just wasn’t his time.

But fortunately for us, he knows when his time will be.

“I was just talking to somebody about that. Honestly, that shot should have gone in,” Dillingham said. “But I feel like it didn’t go in because it’s going to go in March. That’s how I look at it.”

It still hurts, but we’ll take this loss if it means he makes magic in the NCAA Tournament.

Will Dillingham follow in Aaron Harrison’s footsteps here in a few months?