Robert Dillingham
Robert Deon Potasi Dillingham (born January 4, 2005) is an American professional basketball player for the Overtime Cold Hearts of Overtime Elite (OTE). He is a five-star recruit. He is committed to Kentucky.
![]() Dillingham visiting Kentucky in 2021 | ||||||||||||||
No. 1 – Cold Hearts | ||||||||||||||
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Position | Point guard | |||||||||||||
League | Overtime Elite | |||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||
Born | Hickory, North Carolina, U.S. | January 4, 2005|||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||
Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) | |||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||
High school | Donda Academy (Simi Valley, California)
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Playing career | 2022–present | |||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||
2022–present | Overtime Cold Hearts | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
Medals
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High school career
Dillingham was born and raised in Hickory, North Carolina.[1] He played basketball for Combine Academy in Lincolnton, North Carolina.[2][3] Dillingham emerged as one of the top players in his class by his sophomore season.[4] As a sophomore, he averaged 21.2 points, 4.9 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, leading his team to a 29–3 record and a non-association state title. He was named Charlotte Observer Player of the Year.[5] For his junior year, he transferred to Donda Academy, Kanye West's school in Simi Valley, California.
Recruiting
Dillingham is a c five-star recruit .[6] On December 1, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for NC State over offers from Memphis, LSU, Kansas and Kentucky. He became the second highest-ranked recruit in program history, behind Dennis Smith Jr.
On March 19, 2022, Dillingham announced his decommitment from NC State and reopened his recruitment.[7]
On June 24, 2022, Dillingham committed to Kentucky over the offers of Louisville, Auburn, and USC. He became Kentucky's second commit in the 2023 recruiting class.
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
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Robert Dillingham PG |
Hickory, NC | Donda Academy, Simi Valley (CA) | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Dec 1, 2021 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals:![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 14 247Sports: 19 ESPN: 14 | ||||||
Sources:
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Professional career
On November 3, 2022, Dillingham left Donda Academy and signed with Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league for high school players.[8] He joined the Overtime Cold Hearts, one of the six teams in the league.[9] Dillingham made his OTE debut on November 11, recording six points, three rebounds and three steals in a 92–84 loss to the YNG Dreamerz.[9][10]
National team career
Dillingham led the United States to a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mexico. He was named most valuable player after averaging 15.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.2 steals per game.[11] He posted a team-record 31 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 90–75 win against Argentina in the final.[12]
References
- Byerly, Justin. (November 30, 2021). Dillingham Set to Commit, Possible Wolfpack Lock. HoopSeen. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- Jordan, Jason (August 25, 2020). "Robert Dillingham's Star is on the Rise". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- Siner, Jeff (December 21, 2020). "Combine Academy's Robert Dillingham is more than a scorer". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- O'Brien, Patrick (August 26, 2020). "2023 Robert Dillingham is already becoming one of the hottest prospects in his class with college programs". Phenom Hoop Report. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- Wertz Jr., Langston (May 12, 2021). "All-Observer boys basketball: Combine's Robert Dillingham is player of the year". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- Fowler, Chapel (June 29, 2021). "Can an unofficial visit keep UNC basketball in the lead for five-star point guard Robert Dillingham?". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- Jenkins, Brandon (March 19, 2022). "Five-star guard Robert Dillingham decommits from NC State". Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- "Kentucky Recruit Robert Dillingham Leaving Donda Academy for Overtime Elite". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- "After becoming the first Overtime Elite player to sign with Kentucky, Rob Dillingham makes OTE debut". Zags Blog. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- "YNG Dreamerz Stay Perfect with Win Over Cold Hearts". Overtime Elite. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- "USA's Dillingham wins U16 MVP, headlines All-Star Five". FIBA. August 30, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- Divens, Jordan (August 29, 2021). "High school basketball: Robert Dillingham's 31-point outburst leads USA U16 National Team to seventh consecutive gold". MaxPreps. Retrieved September 6, 2021.