What Rob Dillingham's commitment means for Kentucky

Five-star point guard Robert Dillingham is a Wildcat, choosing Kentucky over Auburn, Louisville and USC on Friday. It’s the program’s second commitment in the rising senior class, with the Hickory, NC native joining four-star shooting guard Reed Sheppard to give UK the No. 3 recruiting class in 2023.

What does Dillingham’s commitment mean for the program? And what comes next for the Wildcats on the recruiting trail?

Kentucky gets the top-ranked point guard in the class

What do you get when you combine advanced dribble moves, a lightning-quick first step and crafty scoring from all three levels? You get the No. 1 point guard in high school basketball, Robert Dillingham.

The 6-foot-2, 165-pound guard is ranked No. 3 overall and No. 1 at his position in On3’s latest player rankings. His rise to top-three status comes after an explosive spring and summer on the Nike EYBL circuit, where Dillingham is currently averaging 19.9 points per game, good for fourth overall. The production comes with efficiency, as he’s shooting 52.9% from the field, 38.4% from three and 79.0% from the line, while also adding 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest.

He’s small, thin, struggles at times defensively and isn’t a superb athlete. In terms of offensive production and entertainment value, though, you won’t find a better guard than Dillingham. He’s a living, breathing highlight real who becomes must-see TV every time he steps on the floor. Whether it be a 3-point jumper with a hand in his face, an ankle-breaking dribble move that leads to a flashy finish at the rim or a mid-range pull-up, the newest Wildcat is a professional bucket-getter. He’ll step in and provide immediate offense under John Calipari in Lexington.

A recruiting win for Chin Coleman

During his first recruiting cycle as a member of the Kentucky coaching staff, assistant Chin Coleman served as the lead recruiter for five-star wing Chris Livingston. Fighting off the likes of Alabama, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, North Carolina, Ohio State and the NBA G-League, Coleman earned his first win on the recruiting trail by securing a signature from Livingston in the fall.

One recruiting class later, Coleman has recorded yet another signature victory, earning a commitment from Dillingham as his lead recruiter. He did so after missing out on the five-star guard the first time around, with Dillingham initially committing to North Carolina State.

After backing out from his pledge in March, Coleman told Dillingham he wouldn’t lose in round two.

“It was really not too long after that they started hitting me up,” Dillingham told KSR back in April. “Coach Chin (Coleman) was saying he wasn’t going to lose this time recruiting me. That was their pitch.”

The Kentucky assistant followed through on his promise, fighting off Auburn, Louisville and USC to land a commitment from the five-star guard the second time around.

No longer DJ Wagner-or-bust

By adding Dillingham to the fold, DJ Wagner no longer becomes a make-or-break prospect in the class. Long seen as a heavy Kentucky lean, momentum has shifted in Louisville’s favor for the five-star combo guard thanks to his grandfather, Milt Wagner, being added to Kenny Payne’s staff as a director of player development.

Wagner has been Calipari’s top recruiting target in 2023 practically since he emerged as a high-major prospect in middle school. After coaching his father, Dajuan, at Memphis, the fit was clear from the start. It was the lock of all locks — and then family got involved, just as it did when Calipari hired Milt to his staff to land Dajuan in 2000.

No matter how the Wagner saga unfolds, Kentucky’s success at the guard position in 2023-24 is no longer reliant on his addition with Dillingham announcing his commitment. And despite Louisville trending for Wagner, that’s not to say the two players are mutually exclusive, either — if you ask Dillingham, at least.

“For sure (I’d play with DJ),” he said. “I feel like I’m an unselfish player and can play with anyone, adapt to how they play. He’s a bucket just like me. … He’s a great player for sure. Me and him together, we’re both playmakers, we could play off each other.”

It’s never a bad thing to have the No. 1 point guard in your back pocket as you evaluate your recruiting options elsewhere. Kentucky now has that luxury with Dillingham joining the fold.

Who else in the rising senior class?

You’ve got your anchor in the backcourt in Dillingham, a flashy playmaker capable of putting points on the board in a hurry. You also have Sheppard, another offensive threat who plays well within a system. All eyes are on Wagner, but what (and who) else?

Five-star wing Matas Buzelis announced he would be signing with the NBA G-League Ignite on Friday, taking him off the board for Kentucky. Elsewhere, the Wildcats are pushing for five-star wing Justin Edwards, battling with Tennessee — the current favorite — for his services. UK offered four-star guard Andrej Stojakovic, but the California native is currently trending toward UCLA. JJ Taylor was another five-star prospect with early interest in Kentucky, but contact has died down as professional talk has ramped up. That one appears to be unlikely, too.

Five-star forward Ron Holland is coming off an official visit to Lexington, one that resulted in a scholarship offer. The Wildcats are battling Arkansas and the G-League for his commitment. Five-star forward KJ Evans could still be an option, but Arizona has picked up the most buzz in recent weeks.

In the frontcourt, five-star center Aaron Bradshaw is a strong possibility, with five-star big man Ugonna Kingsley also favoring the Wildcats. Those are two names to keep a close eye on, as well, with five-star forward Xavier Booker also picking up recent interest.

Depending on how things unfold with Wagner, 2024 top-three prospect Ian Jackson is a reclass candidate, with Kentucky seen as the early favorite in his recruitment. He recently picked up a scholarship offer from the Wildcats, the first rising junior to earn one.

Needless to say, there are several moving parts at hand for Kentucky at this point in the class of 2023. Dillingham was the first major domino to fall following Sheppard’s commitment, but now things get tricky.