BB Recruiting

Five Star Recruit, Robert Dillingham, Silently Committed to Kentucky Prior to His Commitment to N.C. State

Published

5 years ago

December 1, 2021

Photo via Instagram: @robwitdashifts

Top-10 guard of the 2023 class, Robert Dillingham, announced today that he would be staying in his home state of North Carolina to play for the N.C. State Wolfpack.

However, according to Joe Tipton of On3 Sports, it appears that this is after a silent commitment he made to Kentucky during his visit in late October. So what happened?

Easily Swayed

Dillingham’s recruitment has been, what you could call, “unique”. Since January, he has been considered a lock for North Carolina, Memphis, and then Kentucky before ultimately choosing N.C. State. With such big swings in his recruitment, it seems that Dillingham was easily swayed.

This was true all the way up to the last minute as Dillingham’s crystal ball predictions changed from 100% Kentucky to 100% N.C. State in the 24-48 hours prior to his commitment.

Family Drama, Kanye West, & Adidas

In October, Dillingham made the decision to leave North Carolina and attend Kanye West’s Donda Academy. According to multiple and since confirmed reports, he made the move without his father’s permission.

His father, Donald Dillingham, claims that he did not give his son permission for the move and that the school paid off his mother in order to gain Robert’s attendance. Donald also claims he spoke to Shayla Scott, the Director of Athletics and Academics at the Donda Academy, who told Donald that they were instructed not to speak to him.

Not to mention, Kanye West’s Donda Academy is sponsored by Adidas and N.C. State is an Adidas school. Leading some to believe there may be a lucrative connection there.

Conclusion

In addition to potential eligibility issues, some people believe that even with his commitment, Dillingham will never suit up for N.C. State and will opt to go the G-League Ignite or overseas route. However, if Dillingham does end up playing for N.C. State, he would only be the third top-10 recruit in program history, the other two being Dennis Smith Jr. and C.J. Leslie.

While he is talented, with the clouds around Dillingham’s recruitment, it appears that Kentucky may have dodged a bullet. With Cal and company’s track record in similar recruitments, they have my trust. With Kentucky in good position for many targets in the 2023 class, including No. 1 DJ Wagner, this isn’t a big loss.

While Dillingham’s recruitment has been cloudy and he didn’t choose the Cats, I wish him all the success in his future.

Related Topics:Adidas Kanye West NC State Robert Dillingham

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky basketball has taken over as the favorite for Serbian star Nikola Kusturica, a projected lottery pick in 2028, with a prediction backing the Wildcats.

Just when many believed Kentucky’s roster was complete in terms of contributing players, Mark Pope might have an ace up his sleeve.

Last week, it was reported that Kentucky was among the frontrunners to land 6-foot-8 Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica. At the time, Gonzaga was thought to be the team to beat, having a more defined role to offer, compared to Kentucky, who has one remaining roster spot and a good amount of depth in wing positions.

Since then, things have shifted in a big way.

Gonzaga received a commitment from 18-year-old French guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa on Sunday. By Tuesday night, the Wildcats received a Crystal Ball prediction from 247Sports’ Travis Branham to land Kusturica, with a confidence level of 7 out of 10.

The 6-foot-8 wing currently plays for FC Barcelona in Spain’s Liga ACB and EuroLeague system. He just turned 17 years old and is reportedly seeking a two-year college opportunity before becoming draft-eligible in 2028, where he is already being projected as a lottery pick.

The on-court résumé speaks for itself. In the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket, he averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while leading Serbia to a championship and was named tournament MVP. He also helped Barcelona capture the Adidas NextGen Finals championship last month, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against Real Madrid.

Next, Kusturica will represent Serbia in the FIBA U17 World Cup from June 27 to July 5, and a college decision could come before then.

Mark Pope is carrying a lot of momentum in recent weeks after retaining Malachi Moreno and adding Milan Momcilovic to this season’s roster, as well as landing the first top 10 prospect of his career in Ryan Hampton. If he can close on Kusturica, that would cap off the roster in a significant way and continue to change the narrative around his recruiting ability.

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Earns Commitment From No. 6 Prospect in 2027 Class Ryan Hampton

Published

2 weeks ago

June 7, 2026

Kai McClelland

Photo via UK Athletics

How about a Sunday boom in the recruiting world for you BBN?

Ryan Hampton, the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2027 class, has officially committed to the University of Kentucky! This is Mark Pope’s first top-10 prospect that he’s earned a commitment from.

Hailing from Rockwall, Texas, Hampton recently took an official visit to campus with his family, which began on Friday, June 5 and spilled into Sunday, June 7, his commitment day.

The five-star wing averaged 21.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during the most recent EYBL Circuit, playing for LivOn and Nightrydas.

Hampton was the first recruit in the 2027 to officially visit with the Wildcats, and now he’s the first to call their shot early and choose the blue and white.

Pope has signed Milan Momcilovic, the No. 2 ranked transfer, and Hampton, his first top-10 high school prospect just in the past week.

It’s been a crazy week for recruiting, with the narrative around Pope’s ability slowing fading as the top guys continue to be attracted to the Kentucky brand.

BB Recruiting

Fast Riser Big Man Yann Kamagate Receives Scholarship Offer From Kentucky

Published

1 month ago

May 18, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Fresh off the first live recruiting period of the offseason, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have extended their first scholarship offer of the 2028 class.

Yann Kamagate, a prospect who went from unranked to the top five in 247Sports’ most recent recruiting rankings, received an offer from the Wildcats, he confirmed to KY Insider on Monday.

“Not everyone gets the chance to be seen by greatness,” Kamagate told KY Insider. “I’m grateful for the offer from Kentucky.”

Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean, who works with the Wildcats’ big men and their development, watched Kamagate first-hand this past weekend in the Adidas 3SSB circuit in Mishawaka, Indiana.

The 7-foot big man was the talk of the weekend, displaying a high motor, extreme athleticism — a reported 7-9 winspam — and great feel for the game. On the circuit, he is averaging 13.9 points, a circuit-leading 10.4 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.

Originally from the West African country of Burkina Faso, Kamagate moved to the United States just a year ago and has only been playing basketball for three years. Now, he is challenging for the top spot in the 2028 class.

He is currently represented by former NBA player and UCLA star Luc Mbah a Moute. Which is relevant as he is currently playing for the California Adidas team, Compton Magic, and attends La Cañada Flintridge (Calif.) St. Francis.

The offer is the latest signal that Mark Pope’s staff is casting a wide and aggressive net this offseason, and targeting players whose trajectories are trending sharply upward. Kamagate fits that profile exactly.