Devin Booker hopeful DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham bring Kentucky a title
Devin Booker may be the face of the Phoenix Suns with a four-year, $222.6 million extension set to kick in next season and his own signature Nike shoe coming out in the spring, but he’s still keeping a close eye on his Kentucky Wildcats.
A key member of the program’s historic 2014-15 squad that finished 38-1, Booker leans on former teammate and close friend Tyler Ulis to keep him in the loop on all things Kentucky basketball.
“Shoutout Tyler Ulis, he’s one of my close friends and he’s on staff with Coach Cal right now,” Booker said at Suns Media Day on Monday. “He keeps me updated on everything going on in Lexington.”
What’s the feedback he’s been getting on this roster and its potential to return to the Final Four for the first time since Booker was on campus? For starters, watch out for DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham.
“Those guys are go-getters,” the former Wildcat said of Wagner and Dillingham. “Those are the two names (Ulis) is excited for.”
Neither are new names in the basketball world. Wagner is a legacy recruit who has been discussed as the next man up since he was in middle school. Dillingham has been a social media sensation for years, Booker actually working out with him alongside Chris Paul before the five-star freshman made his way to Lexington.
“I worked out with Dillingham, me and Chris (Paul) did because he played with (Team) CP3 for a minute,” Booker said. “And I’ve known little Wagner since he was a little kid, I’ve been hearing about him. I’m excited to see where their careers go.”
At the end of the day, Booker hopes Wagner, Dillingham and the rest of the current Wildcats help bring a title to Lexington — a goal he came up just short of during his one-and-done season nearly a decade ago.
Either way, he’ll be paying close attention.
“Hopefully they can bring a championship to Lexington,” Booker said. “I’ll be watching those guys closely the rest of their careers.”
Booker is entering his ninth season in the NBA, all with the Suns. A three-time All-Star and First Team All-NBA member (2022), the former Wildcat has averaged at least 22 points in every season since his rookie year in the league. He’s coming off a season where he finished with a career-high 27.8 points to go with 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per contest, shooting 49.4 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from three and 85.5 percent at the line.
The superstar scoring guard is widely considered one of the best players in the NBA, representing the University of Kentucky about as well as you can. And he’ll be watching his former school closely this season.
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