Coming into the Kentucky basketball season, all eyes were on Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner, the consensus top two freshmen available for John Calipari's team, with Aaron Bradshaw beginning the year on the shelf.
Fast forward to mid-December, and Bradshaw is back and looked great against Penn, but the freshmen getting the most attention nationally and in the NBA draft conversations are a pair of bench guards, Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham.
Dillingham was ranked No. 4 in this class at 247Sports, and while he did garner some preseason attention as a potential prospect, he is now a draft darling and, according to 247's Brandon Jenkins, could be the team's best NBA prospect.
Dillingham is averaging 14.1 points, 4.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 45.2% on two-pointers and a blistering 51.4% on three-pointers through nine games, a ridiculously high rate, especially on 4.1 attempts per game.
Dillingham's incredible speed and burst prove he's unquestionably an NBA-caliber athlete, and his efficiency is helping him climb draft boards - as that was a knock on him coming out of high school.
At 6'2 and with a small frame, it is imperative Dillingham continues to prove he can score around quality defenders, of which he will face plenty once the team gets into SEC play.
If he maintains his efficiency, there is little doubt he will be in first-round consideration by June and could be in the discussion ahead of Wagner and/or Edwards - depending on how they perform going forward.
Takeaways and Watch Articles from Kentucky win over Penn
Takeaways: A breakout game from Aaron Bradshaw leads the Cats past the Penn Quakers 81-66
WATCH: Aaron Bradshaw is breaking out for the Kentucky Wildcats
WATCH: Justin Edwards makes an excellent hustle play in his hometown
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