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John Calipari Is Not Clipping Rob Dillingham’s “Wings”, Letting Him Grow

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11 months ago

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Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham celebrates a big play against North Carolina.
Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics

If you asked someone to describe Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham with one word, one might say “exciting”, “electric”, or even his marque adjective “shifty”. But coming out of high school, scouting reports labeled him as”inconsistent” and “undisciplined”, saying things such as:

“He needs to value substance over style – learning to be more efficient.” – 247Sports

“Will need to prove he can be efficient and under control.” – Sports Illustrated

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“Will need to prove he’s unselfish.” – Sports Illustrated

In his first exhibitions in a Kentucky uniform this summer at GLOBL Jam, adjectives both good and bad, were proven correct. Through four games, Dillingham averaged just 17.1 minutes per game, the 8th most on the roster of ten available players. To say he struggled was an understatement, shooting just 9-29 from the field and 1-7 from three.

Other programs used this as an opportunity to attempt to get Dillingham to leave Kentucky. “You think he got phone calls when we came back?” Calipari asked reporters on media day. “Why don’t you come with us — you don’t think that happened?”

Yet, he stayed committed to Kentucky and trusted the process.

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“Trusting Coach Cal and the process. Today wasn’t my day,” Dillingham said after playing just 12 minutes in game three of GLOBL Jam. “DJ was getting buckets. Reed was getting buckets. If they’re playing better. Why force myself to be mad? We’re a team.”

That display of maturity and mindset was a sign of what was to come. When the team returned to Lexington, Dillingham “lived” in the gym, continuing the work he started in June when he arrived on campus. By early October, he had added 24 pounds to the 155-pound frame he started with and found the comfort level he had been in search of.

At Kentucky Basketball’s Pro Day, Dillingham stood out to the 52 NBA scouts in attendance, calling him the “best player on the floor” and predicting him to be one of the biggest surprises on the team.

Fast forward to mid-December. The scouts were correct. The lightning-quick, undersized guard still keeps the ball on a string and confuses defenders with quick changes of movement and pace, as he always has. However, he is efficient, controlled, and unselfish, as Dillingham himself says, more “pro(-like)”.

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For reference, Dillingham leads Kentucky in assists (4.5 APG, T-2nd in SEC), assist/turnover ratio (2.7), and is second in three-point percentage (46.5%). Doing so coming off the bench and averaging the 7th most minutes on the team (23.2 MPG). Adjusting to per 40 minutes to see where he stands nationally, Dillingham is the ONLY player in the country to project 25+ points and 7+ assists.

An “always chill” Dillingham talked to the media after his latest performance, scoring a Kentucky team-high 17 points in a win against No. 9 North Carolina, including 7 of the Wildcats’ final 14 points. In doing so, Dillingham gives thanks to John Calipari who he says, “helps me, while letting me be me.”

“Since Canada, our relationship has grown so much,” Dillingham said. “He still shows me that he has confidence in me, still letting me rock. At the same time, he wants me to be more pro-like. Make smarter decisions. I’m really just thankful for having him. He helps me while letting me be me.”

Shortly after, Calipari responded to Dillingham’s comments, touching on what it is like to coach such a creative guard and finding a balance between letting him be himself and keeping him under control. “You’re coaching a kid that can create space and get a basket when he wants to,” Calipari said of Dillingham. “Do you clip his wings? You can’t, you gotta let him go.”

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The never-dull Dillingham isn’t prone to mistakes and still has his moments, which is why Calipari has created a ‘three-strike’ rule for him. “I give him two a half. The third one, you’re coming out.

Dillingham’s wings are flying him up NBA draft boards, and he looks to be Kentucky’s next lottery pick.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

Published

6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
ESPN

Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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