Rob Dillingham to Overtime Elite is a welcomed move for Kentucky

Kentucky pledge Rob Dillingham will be playing for his third high school in as many years, joining Overtime Elite for his senior campaign. The move was announced Thursday morning, with the five-star guard signing a scholarship with the program and forgoing his salary to maintain his college eligibility.

This comes after spending one season at Kanye West’s Donda Academy in Simi Valley, CA and beginning his high school career at Combine Academy in Lincolnton, NC. His departure from Donda stems from West — now known as Ye — making anti-Semitic remarks on various platforms, resulting in the artist’s biggest sponsors in Adidas, Gap and Balenciaga, among others, cutting ties.

Ye temporarily shut down the school, leaving his students looking for a new academic home in the middle of the school year. He reopened Donda shortly after, with the basketball program returning, as well — but not before Dillingham and the program’s other top-rated players started looking elsewhere.

Now, the future Wildcat is setting up shop in Atlanta for his final season of high school basketball before making his way to Lexington.

For many Kentucky fans, that last part is tricky — unbelievable, even. Dillingham’s recruitment was a whirlwind, initially leaving NC State, Kentucky, LSU and Memphis all operating under the assumption he was coming to their respective programs at one point or another. The 6-foot-2 guard ultimately settled on the Wolfpack in December of 2021 before backing out of his pledge in March of 2022. He then committed to Kentucky in June, with that partnership remaining strong leading up to the early signing period.

Given the long list of back-and-forths, it’s understandable to be hesitant regarding Dillingham’s status and the likelihood he makes it to UK — especially with how Shaedon Sharpe’s time in Lexington unfolded. What fans should know, though, is that this move is one both sides are happy and confident with, multiple sources tell KSR.

The biggest takeaway: Dillingham and Overtime Elite have had mutual interest for several weeks now, with the five-star guard intrigued with a potential move to OTE for his final high school season even before the Ye/Donda drama unfolded. Conversations ramped up during his trip to Atlanta for OTE Opening Weekend back in October, where he was “blown away” with the facilities and atmosphere, KSR learned shortly after the event. He scored 36 points to go with five rebounds, four steals and three assists in his debut.

Kentucky was quick to sign off on the move, with the coaching staff supporting the OTE program and its player development under former UConn head coach Kevin Ollie and the impressive staff he’s built there in Atlanta. The mutual respect is strong, with OTE hoping to continue adding Kentucky-level talent and building a positive working relationship with the Wildcats, along with other high-profile schools.

Starting its second season this fall, the start-up league is in no position to burn bridges with a school like UK and a coach like John Calipari, a key to all of this. They’re looking to form a potential pipeline with the Wildcats, not steal their talent.

On Dillingham’s end, the decision was a no-brainer. Sources tell KSR that the future Wildcat was hooked up with a brand new apartment-style dorm room just a short walk away from campus, one of the many amenities that come with being a high-profile athlete at OTE. As for the basketball, the state-of-the-art 103,000-square-foot facility is jam-packed with high-tech features and training tools, with practice courts on one level and game courts on another. Academically, it’s a personalized program with teachers right there on campus, classes down the hall from the courts — but far enough for basketball to not be a distraction from coursework. Everything from soundproof study rooms to tutors available on-site, all the resources a student could need.

And then there’s the NIL side of things, a game-changer for student-athletes like Dillingham wishing to maintain their college eligibility. OTE athletes have a partnership with the Overtime media company for paid opportunities with photoshoots and social media posts that have earned other current players as much as $10,000 per month — again, all legal through NIL and separate from the school itself. OTE is hands-off regarding NIL, leaving it entirely up to Overtime to negotiate deals and opportunities on their own. And there’s no pressure to participate, either, with the popular media brand simply making the NIL opportunities available to the players as they wish to pursue them.

Dillingham will certainly partake — as he should, given his status as one of the most marketable players in high school basketball.

To put the icing on the cake, the academics and NIL opportunities have already been approved by University of Kentucky compliance, something Dillingham wanted done before finalizing a deal with the program.

Sources tell KSR that Dillingham is expected to put pen to paper with Kentucky during the early signing period, which lasts from Nov. 9 through Nov. 16. From there, no concern within the program regarding his arrival in Lexington next summer during freshmen move-in.

And no, he’s not eligible for the 2023 NBA Draft — he doesn’t turn 18 until January and hasn’t graduated high school yet, missing both league requirements.

All in all, the Wildcat pledge’s move to Overtime Elite is a win for all parties involved. Kentucky likes the development and academics, Dillingham likes the competition and branding opportunities, and OTE likes the star talent and potential pipeline moving forward with UK.