Rob Dillingham staying patient with second recruitment, Kentucky still a "top school"

2023 five-star point guard Rob Dillingham already went through the recruiting process one time around — and it was a hectic one. Following a controversial high school change — he left Combine Academy in North Carolina to enroll at Kanye West’s Donda Academy — and countless back-and-forths regarding top schools, the 6-foot-2 playmaker settled on North Carolina State on December 1, 2021.

It was a decision that came after a month of chatter regarding a potential silent commitment to Kentucky, a late surprise in the days leading up to his announcement.

Just how close was he to choosing the Wildcats? He’ll admit it was a tough call, but he liked the NC State coaching staff and wanted to stay home. That’s what the Hickory, NC native did — at least initially.

“It was pretty close, but I already knew I was going to NC State,” Dillingham said at Nike EYBL Session II in Indianapolis. “I just really loved (Kevin) Keatts, liked NC State and wanted to be home, but it was kind of close.”

A little less than four months later, the five-star guard reopened his recruitment. Arguably the quickest, most entertaining ball-handler in high school basketball was available once again.

And after making a strong push the first time around, Kentucky is back, ready to finish the job in part two of Dillingham’s recruitment.

“It was really not too long after that they started hitting me up,” Dillingham told KSR. “Coach Chin (Coleman) was saying he wasn’t going to lose this time recruiting me. That was their pitch. I’ve been talking to coach Chin, coach Cal and coach (Orlando) Antigua, they’re good people. … They’re still involved a lot, probably going to be in my top five, one of the top schools I mess with.”

Kentucky’s recruiting pitch remains the same: Come in and be Calipari’s next star point guard.

“It’s the same thing,” Dillingham said. “They want me to be one of the best guards there, come in and have an impact my first year.”

The list of elite guards to come through Lexington is extensive, Calipari’s pride and joy. Kentucky put together a compilation video of them all to show Dillingham on his official visit in October. The UK coaching staff wants the five-star standout to be next.

“When I went on my visit, they showed me all the guards that went there, all their highlights and stuff, and they were all elite guards,” Dillingham said. “I’m guessing, hopefully, (Calipari) wants me to be one of those. John Wall, (Isaiah) Briscoe, De’Aaron Fox, Malik (Monk), all the guards. It was pretty crazy.”

Kentucky made a statement with its interest in Dillingham at EYBL Session II this past weekend. Calipari was front and center at every game during his time in Indianapolis.

It was the first coach the five-star guard noticed, along with another familiar face.

“Definitely Coach Cal and coach Penny (Hardaway),” Dillingham said. “There were a lot of coaches out there.”

Calipari was typically sitting alongside Chin Coleman, Kentucky’s lead recruiter for the Donda Academy standout. He likes the UK assistant’s approach to basketball and life beyond the game.

“I just like Chin as a person, he just likes basketball,” Dillingham added. “Outside of basketball, he just likes players as people and wants you to be a better person. That’s what I like about Chin.”

Memphis is also seen as a potential option, a program that made Dillingham’s final five during his first recruitment. The idea of playing for a four-time NBA All-Star in Penny Hardaway is certainly an intriguing one.

“(It would be) definitely crazy because Penny is a legend,” the five-star guard said. “He could teach me everything honestly. There’s nothing he can’t teach. It’d be crazy if I went there.”

It’s not just a Kentucky vs. Memphis battle, though. Dillingham added that Kansas, Arkansas, UCLA and USC are among the other schools recruiting him the hardest. His initial final five included Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, Memphis and NC State.

The first process was quick and chaotic. This time around, though, Dillingham is trying to remain patient and avoid rushing into a decision he’ll come to regret down the road. Step one will be a list cut, which will come in the coming months.

“Sometime after AAU,” he said of a list cut, likely down to five options. “Maybe during Peach Jam.”

The professional route was something he considered the first time around. Now? Unlikely, but not off the table completely.

“A little bit,” Dillingham said. “Not Overtime, I’m not really looking at them. G League, maybe, but I’m pretty sure I’m leaning toward college.”

Previously mulling a jump to 2021, a reclass is now “definitely off the table.” Instead, he’s focusing on improving his game and making a decision when the moment feels right. That could come as late as next year, he tells KSR, but at minimum after the AAU season or going into his senior year of high school.

What is he looking for when it comes time for his second and final decision?

“I’m looking for somewhere that can make me a better player, fit my game for the next level and have me projected the highest pick I can be,” Dillingham said. “Whatever school can make me that, that’s where I’ll be.”

Dillingham is the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 point guard in the 2023 On3 Consensus.