Kentucky freshman guard Rob Dillingham will enter the 2024 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility, he announced on ESPN's "NBA Today" on Tuesday.
Dillingham has signed a representation agreement with Klutch Sports Group agency.
"This was a decision I made with my family," Dillingham told ESPN on Monday. "I felt prepared. Coach Calipari taught me a lot about how to be a better teammate and that it was not all about me."
Dillingham, the No. 4 prospect in ESPN's NBA draft projections, was named second-team All-SEC and Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 15.2 points and 3.9 assists in 23 minutes per game this season while shooting 44% from 3-point range.
Kentucky tied for second place in the SEC with a 13-5 record and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. However, they were upset in the round of 64 by No. 14 seed Oakland, which ultimately led to head coach John Calipari departing for Arkansas in one of the surprise moves of the offseason.
"It was an up-and-down season with a lot of great moments," Dillingham said. "We won a lot of games with a young team. It was a great learning experience, and it was amazing to share it with my teammates. I learned how to be for everyone; that's what wins games. Coach Cal has done a lot for Kentucky. I feel like he's a great coach. Wherever he goes, he'll be a great coach."
Dillingham entered the season as a projected first-round pick but quickly showed he's possibly the most talented freshman in college basketball, despite coming off the bench and playing on a somewhat short leash. His open-court explosiveness, advanced ballhandling ability, creativity as a passer and finisher and ability to hit difficult shots pulling up off the dribble from anywhere on the floor give him arguably the most star power of any prospect in this draft class.
"It doesn't matter what pick I am, if I get picked 60th. I want to go to a team that trusts me and can help me build, and I can build with them, and make me better. I just want to help my team win, and they can develop me and teach me things.
"Anyone can be special if they put their mind toward it. Just have confidence. It's about what you put your mind into."
The NBA draft combine will be held May 13-19 in Chicago and the NBA draft will be held in New York City on June 26-27. The first round will be conducted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, followed by the second round the next day at ESPN's studio in lower Manhattan.
