Rob Dillingham (Vicky Graff Photo)
New York Daily News columnist Dick Weiss, who is in the National Sportswriters Hall of Fame, likes the talent on coach John Calipari’s team but he really likes freshman guard Rob Dillingham.
“He is the one college player in this NBA draft class most likely to make an (NBA) All-Star Game in the future,” Weiss said before Kentucky lost to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament.
That was before ESPN updated its NBA draft rankings recently and elevated Dillingham to No 3 on its draft board with freshman teammate Reed Sheppard listed at No. 5 by ESPN draft analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo.
“Dillingham is a bit of a polarizing prospect among NBA teams, but it’s hard to argue with the sheer star power he offers in a draft severely lacking in that category,” Givony wrote. “He has been just as aggressive and effective against high-level SEC competition, coming up huge down the stretch of several games for Kentucky despite continuing to come off the bench and being on somewhat of a short leash at times.”
Givony did add that some teams have questions about Dillingham’s size and how that might impact what kind of NBA player he will be.
Givony said NBA scouts also have concerns over Sheppard’s size and how that could impact his defense — which had issues against Texas A&M along with the other Kentucky guards — and ability to finish plays in the NBA. However, Givony pointed out that Glen Rice is the only first-round draft pick in the last 35 years that has shot better than 50 percent from 3-point range with at least four attempts per game like Sheppard is doing.
“Despite still coming off the bench, Sheppard has proved impossible to keep off the floor for Kentucky in SEC play, where he already has had several signature moments in cementing his case as the best freshman in college basketball,” Givony said before Sheppard’s 27-point explosion at Tennessee Saturday.
Other UK players in the latest ESPN draft rankings are D.J. Wagner (34), Justin Edwards (43), Ugonna Onyenso (51), Zvonimir Ivisic (60), Antonio Reeves (67), Tre Mitchell (71) and Aaron Bradshaw (72).
There will be only 58 picks in this year’s draft.
Adou Thiero, Jordan Burks and Joey Hart are the only UK scholarship players not rated among ESPN’s top 100 NBA draft prospects.
Kentucky coach John Calipari made it clear on his weekly radio show last week that he expects major roster turnover again for next season.
“This has been a fun walk. I’ve told everybody from day one, enjoy this,” Calipari said before UK’s loss to Texas A&M. “Don’t let anybody steal your joy and give you doubts. ‘What about this? What about that?’ Don’t let them, why? Enjoy these young people because at the end of the year, they’ll be gone.
“We’ll have another group. So enjoy this group and what they’ve become, what they are for each other, what they are for our fans.”
Givony already has Thiero at No. 27 overall in this 2025 NBA Draft.
“It’s all there for him. He’s gotten so much better,” Calipari said about Thiero. “He’s not even what he was a year ago and what he is now. And I still think he’s going to be 6-9. He’s probably 6-7, maybe a little bit bigger now. By the time next year rolls around, he’ll be 6-9.”
9 Responses
I don’t think their is any question.. he seems to be fearless and the only one who didn’t crap down his leg against Texas A&M. Fearlessness + Obvious talent is a great recipe for a heck of a future.
The fans want to win games with all this superior talent.
We can’t "enjoy this group" like our coach wants us to because he favors sub par performance players and mistreats the best freshman in the country.
Have no idea if he will be an NBA All star, but he is an exciting player and l love
to watch him play. Sure wish he would stick around another year or two.
Dillingham has the most upside for the NBA than anyone on this team. If he is sure of a lottery pick, you can’t blame him for going. There are a lot of players on this team that really need to come back, but we know deep down, most will not. Bradshaw and Ivisic really need to come back but you can’t teach that height and that will get them drafted. Wagner really needs more time as well, but I don’t think more than 1 year of college was ever on his mind, I think he is gone even if it means not getting drafted.
Our best hope for the future is for Calipari to be offered an NBA job he can’t refuse.
Really tired of being an NBA funnel team. This team has all the natural attributes you could want; Talent, everyone can pass, handle the ball, long players, quick players, fast players, quick thinking players, shooters at all 3 levels, high basketball IQ. Many, many things you cannot teach. The two glaring things this team is missing; Defense and Rebounding. Both are teachable attributes but this coaching staff has failed miserably with one of the best groups of players you can assemble.
Who gives a flip about the NBA? I certainly don’t!!!
I am a UK fan and have been for over 60 years. End of sentence.
I want the UK program to be the gold standard. I expect the UK program to compete for championships every year.
Professor, I am not sure we will ever see those days again at Kentucky. Certainly, not as long as Calipari is the coach.
Stanford head coach Jerod Haase announced his firing at his press conference following a Pac-12 Tournament game loss. He handled it with class.
"I have not won here to the level that I expect," Haase said. "Just like I hold my team accountable, I’m being held accountable, and I have no issue with that."
That is taking accountability. It’s time for John Calipari to do the honorable thing as well.
UNIVERSITY of Kentucky
The nba does NOT have anything to do with UK!!!
How many players have not had the heart to play hard for UK, to try to win every game? Not many since the fraud arrived.
The last UK Title had Darius Miller on it. The 1996 & 1998 Champs had many Kentuckians.
The majority of the fraud recruits do NOT CARE about UK or about UK winning!!!
AND I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE NBA – mostly thugs.
The fraud should be sued for not placing UK first, which is why he has been GIVEN millions!!! He should report it as UNEARNED INCOME!
Overated and too small. Plays as an individual.