Freshman guard Rob Dillingham announced that he would declare for the NBA Draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility following the news that ex-Kentucky head coach John Calipari is taking over as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Rob Dillingham has declared for the NBA Draft 🔥 (h/t @draftexpress) pic.twitter.com/9BVfkm7L9a
— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures*) April 9, 2024
In his first year at Kentucky, the 6’3” guard averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game, earning him second-team All-SEC and Sixth-Man of the Year. While Dillingham’s season did not end with a deep March Madness run but rather a first-round loss to No. 14 Oakland, he is choosing to take his talents to the league.
The former Kentucky head coach Calipari has a history of sending his freshmen to the NBA, including key names such as John Wall, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, De’Aaron Fox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Demarcus Cousins. With Calipari in his corner, Dillingham seems to have a bright future in the NBA.
According to ESPN’s NBA draft projections, Dillingham is listed as the No. 4 Prospect, the second-highest American collegiate player to declare for the draft, behind UConn’s star center and National Champion, Donovan Clingan. The top two seeds in the draft projections are from Europe, No. 1 Zaccharie Risacher, and No. 2 Alex Sarr, both forwards from France.
