BB Recruiting

Rob Dillingham and Family Frustrated at “Unfair” Rumors, Insists He Will Be at Kentucky

Published

3 years ago

April 13, 2023

UK Athletics

College basketball offseason is here, which means that there are plenty of rumors floating around. One of the more prominent rumors has been around top-10 prospect and Kentucky signee Rob Dillingham, claiming that he may not ever make it to campus due to personal reasons or academic issues.

However, Dillingham and his family have grown frustrated at the “unfair” rumors and hope to put them to rest. While he has declined all formal interview requests over the past several weeks, he informally spoke with The Athletic’s Kyle Tucker on Tuesday during the Overtime Elite (OTE) combine.

“He declined to speak on the record with The Athletic on Tuesday, too, but he did chat informally and decided to publicly put the rumors to rest.”

While the contents of that conversation are off the record, Dillingham smiled as he sported a blue shirt under his OTE jersey, one that read “KENTUCKY WILDCATS” in white lettering. Furthermore, Dillingham did go on to confirm that he is on track to graduate high school in May and enroll with the rest of Kentucky’s freshmen class in early June.

Dilingham’s response confirmed what KY Insider’s Tristan Pharis has reported. While there were some valid concerns, the rumors were fueled by his unique high school path – playing for three programs – and his decommitment from NC State – after the school received NCAA violations.

Arguably the most entertaining player in the class, Kentucky fans will get an opportunity to watch Dillingham play with three other UK signees – Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards, and DJ Wagner – at the Iverson Classic all-star game later this month, on April 29th.

As fan excitement grows with this freshman class, Dillingham’s excitement is growing as he gets closer to arriving on campus. In a recent interview, he called Kentucky “perfect”. When asked about what he is most excited for, “The culture, the fans. Also, the recruiting class I’m coming in with.”

Rob Dillingham talks about what’s he’s most excited for coming to Kentucky.

“It’s the perfect everything. It’s not one thing. The culture, the fans. Also, the recruiting class I’m coming in with.”pic.twitter.com/uf2xtitlax— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) April 12, 2023

Dillingham and the other freshmen will have an opportunity to represent Kentucky soon, as the program will represent Team USA in the Canadian event, GLBL Jam, this July.

With this news, fans can rest assured that Dillingham will be in Lexington in just a few weeks, preparing to help Kentucky have a successful season.

Related Topics:Aaron Bradshaw DJ Wagner Justin Edwards Rob Dilligham

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

Published

7 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.