Introduction
Robert Deon Potasi Dillingham (born January 4, 2005) is an American college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He was a five-star recruit who previously played professionally for the Cold Hearts in Overtime Elite during what would have been his senior year in high school.
Early life and high school career
Dillingham was born and raised in Hickory, North Carolina. He played basketball for Combine Academy in Lincolnton, North Carolina. Dillingham emerged as one of the top players in his class by his sophomore season. 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. For his junior year, he transferred to Donda Academy, Kanye West's school in Simi Valley, California.
Recruiting
Dillingham was considered a five-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals, and a four-star recruit by 247Sports. 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. 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.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Dillingham PG |
Hickory, NC | Donda Academy (CA) | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Jun 24, 2022 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 91 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 15 247Sports: 21 ESPN: 15 | ||||||
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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. He joined the Overtime Cold Hearts, one of the six teams in the league. 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.
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. He posted a team-record 31 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 90–75 win against Argentina in the final.