Rob Dillingham discusses playing with a 'chip on shoulder' mindset at Kentucky

Going from a five-star prospect to a lottery pick and projected top-10 pick is typical. What is a bit unordinary is the way that Kentucky freshman Rob Dillingham got there.

Long before his time in Lexington, Dillingham was an NC State commit. But even after flipping his commitment to Kentucky, there were doubts about if he would end up playing. Because he played for numerous different high schools, including a now-closed Donda Academy, some of his high school credits were in question.

Now fast forward just 12 months later and Dillingham is considered the most skilled player in the draft class.

That high praise is a shock for some when you glance over Dillingham's freshman year stats. How can a guy that skilled have just one start in his Kentucky career? Well, that's a question that Dillingham himself wrestled with early on.

“At first it was a little difficult," Dillingham told The Athletic’s Shams Charania. "But over time you’ve got to grow into it and you’ve gotta play with a chip on your shoulder and play basketball and understand that when you get in the game, you’ve got to perform, and if you don’t, you won’t get no more time."

Dillingham was the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year in 2023, thanks to averages of 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and a three-point rate of 44.4 percent. 

Despite starting just one game last year he scored in double-figures in 27 of his 32 games played. He even scored 20 points in eight games, including a 35-point performance all off the bench. 

"Just try to go in a game and do what the coach want me to do in the time he wants me to do," Dillingham added. "So I never looked at it as ‘I’m not as good’, I just looked at it as motivation to go out there and I get to watch the players play before I get to go in."

Dillingham is currently No. 8 on ESPN's Big Board heading into Wednesday's NBA Draft and while his landing spot is still widely unknown, he'll be a significant help to any organization.