Kentucky's Dillingham declares for 2024 NBA Draft
Kentucky freshman guard Rob Dillingham will forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for June's draft, he told ESPN's Malika Andrews on NBA Today.
Dillingham also signed a deal with Klutch Sports to have the agency represent him, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
"This was a decision I made with my family," said Dillingham. "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 sits at No. 4 in ESPN's draft prospect rankings.
In his lone season with Kentucky, he averaged 15.2 points and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 44% from 3-point range. He was named to the All-SEC second team and dubbed the conference's Sixth Man of the Year.
The Wildcats entered March Madness as a No. 3 seed but lost in the opening round to No. 14 Oakland. Longtime coach John Calipari announced his departure from the program earlier on Tuesday and is reportedly expected to become the new bench boss at Arkansas.
"It was an up-and-down season with a lot of great moments," said Dillingham. "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."
The first round of the NBA draft will take place on June 26.