'23 Freddie Dilione talks ACC, Big East schools; Kentucky contact

Freddie Dilione has been one of the biggest stock risers in the southeast this season. The 6-foot-5 junior at Raleigh (NC) Word of God averaged 22.3 points in Big Shots Prep Nationals.

“Coming off screens, I play best with screens,” Dilione told On3 after his first game at Prep Nationals. “I can shoot the ball. I knock down shots and handle the ball under pressure real well. I’ve stayed in the gym and remained consistent all year.”

This summer, the 2023 guard played with Team Loaded NC on the Adidas 3SSB 17u circuit. College coaches started to take notice of his consistently strong performances. Freddie Dilione spoke exclusively with On3 about what schools he hears from the most.

“I took unofficial visits to Virginia Tech and VCU recently,” Dilione said. “I am hearing from them and Providence the most right now.”

Dilione talks recruitment

VCU: “Their whole staff is great; they all care. They’re in constant contact with me, the head coach, and assistants. They want me to come in and be a dog, play my game. The game was good. The atmosphere was turnt. It’s a basketball school; they don’t have football at all, so all their fans, basketball is their main focus.”

Virginia Tech: “The campus is beautiful. I went up there for the North Carolina game. The crowd was wild, great atmosphere. What they do every day, the work they put in, it shows me what it takes to go to the next level.”

Providence: “They like my game a lot. They want me to be able to come in and contribute immediately at the guard spot.”

“Kentucky called me recently; we talked,” Dilione said. “They were checking in on me, asking my family and how the season was going. They said they were going to come down at some point to meet me and go from there.”

Dilione’s take

“I’m going to be a part of the 2023 class, 100-percent,” Dilione said. “I am going to be looking closely at the system and the coaching. I want to go to be around a winning environment. I’m most comfortable in a fast system with a lot of ball screens. I want to have good bigs with me as well. Location won’t matter; it is all about the fit.”

On3’s take

Freddie Dilione is a strong frame guard. Standing 6-5, he is comfortable on the ball and has the confidence to score at all three levels. While his shot off the catch can be streaky, Dilione is a smooth shooter off the bounce, able to step into his shot and create space in the half-court. He has good straight-line explosion, able to finish above the rim in traffic. We would like to see Dilione keep his head up see the floor better on the ball; he has an innate ability to put the ball in the basket. His ability to score the ball will be what carries him to become a high-major prospect.