Rob Dillingham

Robert Deon Potasi Dillingham (born January 4, 2005) is an American college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He is a five-star recruit that previously played professionally for the Cold Hearts in Overtime Elite during what would have been his senior year in high school.

Robert Dillingham
Dillingham visiting Kentucky in 2021
No. 0 – Kentucky Wildcats
PositionPoint guard
LeagueSoutheastern Conference
Personal information
Born (2005-01-04) January 4, 2005
Hickory, North Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High schoolCombine Academy
(Lincolnton, North Carolina)
College
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–2023Overtime Cold Hearts
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
Gold medal – first place2021 MexicoTeam

High school career

Dillingham was born and raised in Hickory, North Carolina.[1] He played basketball for Combine Academy in Lincolnton, North Carolina.[2][3] Dillingham emerged as one of the top players in his class by his sophomore season.[4] As a sophomore, he averaged 21.2 points, 4.9 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, leading his team to a 29–3 record and a non-association state title. He was named Charlotte Observer Player of the Year.[5] For his junior year, he transferred to Donda Academy, Kanye West's school in Simi Valley, California.

Recruiting

Dillingham is a five-star recruit.[6] On December 1, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for NC State over offers from Memphis, LSU, Kansas and Kentucky. He became the second highest-ranked recruit in program history, behind Dennis Smith Jr.

On March 19, 2022, Dillingham announced his decommitment from NC State and reopened his recruitment.[7]

On June 24, 2022, Dillingham committed to Kentucky over the offers of Louisville, Auburn, and USC. He became Kentucky's second commit in the 2023 recruiting class.[8]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Robert Dillingham
PG		 Hickory, NC Donda Academy, Simi Valley (CA) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Dec 1, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 91
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 14  247Sports: 19  ESPN: 14
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 28, 2022.

Professional career

On November 3, 2022, Dillingham left Donda Academy after multiple controversies surrounding its founder, Kanye West, and signed with Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league for late high school and early college-level players.[9] He joined the Overtime Cold Hearts, one of the six teams in the league.[10] Dillingham made his OTE debut for the Cold Hearts on November 11, recording six points, three rebounds and three steals in a 92–84 loss to the YNG Dreamerz.[10][11]

National team career

Dillingham led the United States to a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mexico. He was named most valuable player after averaging 15.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.2 steals per game.[12] He posted a team-record 31 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 90–75 win against Argentina in the final.[13]

References
  1. Byerly, Justin. (November 30, 2021). Dillingham Set to Commit, Possible Wolfpack Lock. HoopSeen. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  2. Jordan, Jason (August 25, 2020). "Robert Dillingham's Star is on the Rise". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  3. Siner, Jeff (December 21, 2020). "Combine Academy's Robert Dillingham is more than a scorer". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  4. O'Brien, Patrick (August 26, 2020). "2023 Robert Dillingham is already becoming one of the hottest prospects in his class with college programs". Phenom Hoop Report. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  5. Wertz Jr., Langston (May 12, 2021). "All-Observer boys basketball: Combine's Robert Dillingham is player of the year". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  6. Fowler, Chapel (June 29, 2021). "Can an unofficial visit keep UNC basketball in the lead for five-star point guard Robert Dillingham?". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  7. Jenkins, Brandon (March 19, 2022). "Five-star guard Robert Dillingham decommits from NC State". Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  8. Holton, Brooks (June 25, 2022). "Robert Dillingham, top point guard recruit in 2023 class, commits to Kentucky basketball". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  9. "Kentucky Recruit Robert Dillingham Leaving Donda Academy for Overtime Elite". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  10. "After becoming the first Overtime Elite player to sign with Kentucky, Rob Dillingham makes OTE debut". Zags Blog. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  11. "YNG Dreamerz Stay Perfect with Win Over Cold Hearts". Overtime Elite. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  12. "USA's Dillingham wins U16 MVP, headlines All-Star Five". FIBA. August 30, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  13. Divens, Jordan (August 29, 2021). "High school basketball: Robert Dillingham's 31-point outburst leads USA U16 National Team to seventh consecutive gold". MaxPreps. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
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