Two things that go together are Kentucky basketball and the NBA Draft,
There is no coach better in college basketball at putting players in the NBA than Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari. This is why Kentucky currently has the most active NBA players among colleges, just ahead of the Duke Blue Devils. Kentucky’s current roster is chalk full of NBA talent, but there is one player separating himself from the bunch.
Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham is the best pro prospect on this Kentucky basketball team. The reason is the way he plays the game right now will translate almost immediately to the next level. He isn’t the tallest player, standing only 6’3, but no one in college hoops can score better than him. The defense needs to get better, but in the NBA, that isn’t the first thing they are looking at in a prospect. On the season, Dillingham averages 15.5 points per game to go with 4.1 assists. He is shooting 48.8% from the field and 43.3% from deep. Over his last two games Dillingham has scored 55 points and dished 13 assists. The Kentucky guard is going to be a star in the NBA and will go top five in this year’s draft.
After Kentucky beat Missouri, their head coach, Dennis Gates, said Dillingham was “probably the best isolation player in college basketball.” This right here explains why the NBA values what Dillingham brings to the table. It won’t take him any time at all to develop his game to be ready for the NBA.
If Dillingham continues to play like he has over the past few weeks throughout the rest of the season, there is no way he will not be selected top five in the 2024 NBA Draft. I feel confident saying Dillingham has a really high chance of being next season’s NBA Rookie of the Year.