Former Kentucky target Robert Dillingham decommits from NC State

2023 five-star guard Robert Dillingham, a former Kentucky target, has decommitted from NC State.

Committing to the program back in December, the 6-foot-2, 165-pound guard previously chose the Wolfpack over Kansas, Kentucky, LSU and Memphis. Now after three-plus months with NC State, Dillingham is backing away from his pledge to consider his other options.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to reopen my college recruitment,” Dillingham announced Saturday. “While NC State is still an option, I would like to explore all of my options.”

Dillingham is ranked No. 4 overall and No. 2 among point guards in the latest On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He comes in at No. 6 overall and No. 3 among point guards in the On3 Player Rankings.

The five-star prospect was once considered a heavy Kentucky lean, with sources telling KSR that he was a silent commit during the fall. His recruitment, though, was a controversial back-and-forth affair, one that led to several other programs — LSU, Memphis and North Carolina, in particular — believing they were in position to land a commitment at one point or another. His highly-publicized transfer from Combine Academy (NC) to Kanye West’s Donda Academy (CA) also added some clear noise to the situation.

Kentucky was once in the driver’s seat for the five-star guard. Will the Wildcats jump back in the conversation? UK has in-state standout Reed Sheppard committed, with top-three junior Dajuan Wagner Jr. long seen as a heavy Kentucky lean — until this week, at least. Louisville’s hiring of Kenny Payne has put the Cardinals right in the thick of things for Wagner, with a UK vs. UofL battle expected in the coming months.

Should Wagner join Payne at Louisville, a top-10 prospect in Dillingham isn’t a bad consolation prize.

Come on down (again)?