Rob Dillingham Responds After Summer Struggles

The GLOBL JAM event that took place in Toronto this past July served as a time for a lot of Kentucky Wildcats to show off what they can do on the court. A lot of players saw great success that gave them momentum heading into the rest of the summer. Rob Dillingham was not one of those players, however. After averaging just 5.5 points per contest while shooting 31% from the field, Dillingham decided to get to work in the gym and the weight room, and his work has clearly paid off.

Gaining Over Twenty Pounds of Muscle

One of the issues with Dillingham when he came in was that he lacked much of a frame physically. Being 6’1, he already lacked the stature that some of his competition will have. Then, at 155 lbs, Dillingham was set up to be bullied around, especially by those tough SEC guards.

Around the beginning of September, the BBN got an update from Strength and Condition Coach Brady Welsh on Dillingham’s physical transformation. He had added 17 lbs of muscle, putting him at 172 lbs.

However, after the Blue-White game, John Calipari said, “He’s gained 22 pounds because he got beat up in Toronto. Was he making layups in Toronto? No, because he got bumped and now all the sudden he’s the one creating the bump and playing through.” If that number is accurate, that would mean Dillingham is up to 177 lbs.

Impressive Showing at UK Pro Day

When all eyes were on Dillingham at GLOBL JAM, he struggled, but that wasn’t the case when he took that the floor at UK Pro Day. Dillingham saw improvement in basically every aspect of his game. With 52 scouts from all 30 NBA teams in attendance, Dillingham shined bright.

Throughout summer practice, Dillingham’s name was the one that received the most praise, and we saw why at UK Pro Day. Dillingham was stronger, faster, and even more shiftier than he was even as recent as GLOBL JAM.

His on-ball defense has also taken a huge leap. He caused a good amount of disruption, no matter who he was matched up against. Dillingham proved that he has a ton of versatility on defense, which will be invaluable for this team.

Scoring Forty Points in the Blue-White Game

The Blue-White game was yet another chance for Rob Dillingham to show why he was brought to Kentucky. Five players managed to score twenty points of more, and Dillingham took it to another level by doubling that. He had forty points on 14-23 shooting.

Buckets weren’t the only way that Dillingham made in impact on the floor either. He filled up the stat sheet across the board. Along with his forty points, he also had five rebounds, seven assists, and four steals on the night.

If there was a Blue-White game MVP award, it would have gone to Dillingham without any doubt. All game long, he was a difference maker. It didn’t matter if it was offense or defense, he was always doing something positive on the floor.

Rob Dillingham is a completely different person and player from July, when the Cats went to Toronto and won GLOBL JAM gold. He has not only revamped his game on the floor, but he has remade himself physically and mentally. The Rob Dillingham of old was one of the best guards in high school ball, but the new Rob Dillingham has the potential to be one of the best guards in college basketball.