Auburn signee says Kentucky will love guard Rob Dillingham

By LARRY VAUGHT

Aden Holloway is a McDonald’s All-American, top 30 player nationally and an Auburn signee. However, he’s also a fan/friend of Kentucky signee Rob Dillingham.

Holloway even understood why Kentucky never reached out to him because it got an early commitment from Dillingham.

“Rob is my brother. I have known him since I was like 8 years old (in North Carolina),” Holloway, who plays for Prolific Prep (California), said. “He is a (future) NBA player. That’s all I can say. He’s special.”

Why? What makes the 6-1 point guard special?

“Just a God-given ability to put the ball in the basket and the way he does it and the moves he has. It’s just crazy,” Holloway said.  “He can just play.”

Dillingham is known as a dynamic player who can be both a shot-creator and space creator in transition or the half court. However, Holloway says not to underestimate Dillingham’s defense.

“He can play Division 1 level defense,” Holloway said. “He’s also a great passer but he is so good at scoring people label him just a scorer because he’s so good but he can do everything on the court and that includes playing great defense.”

Dillingham originally was a North Carolina State commit before changing his mind. He also transferred to the Donda Academy in California last fall before the team folded and he played this season at Overtime Elite.

Holloway says not to worry about him moving around or changing his mind about his college choice.

“He only went to two schools. He went to Donda to get better individually which is necessary with the big goals he has. The change to Overtime Elite was out of his hands and control,” Holloway said.

“I played against him in middle school. It was a big rivalry. In high school, we played some together. I know him well and Kentucky is going to love him.”

Holloway is already looking forward to Kentucky-Auburn games next season.

“It’s going to be fun. It will be a blessing to play against my friend at that high level and us both there and getting to experience that is going to be great. We will compete but it is a blessing,” Holloway said.

Holloway also played against Kentucky signee DJ Wagner, the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American, in middle school and summer ball.

“I have not played against him a lot but know he is good,” Holloway said.  “Him and Rob will be a crazy backcourt. They will be tough to guard for anybody.”

Former Kentucky All-American Jack Givens doesn’t expect freshman Cason Wallace to be back next year because of how high he is projected to go into the NBA Draft.

Wallace’s final game at UK likely was the 75-69 NCAA Tournament loss to Kansas State where he had 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in 34 minutes before fouling out.

Givens knew Wallace was playing hurt — knee, ankle and back issues — against Kansas State.

“That is the thing that will get him extra kudos on the next level. He went out and I know his knee or something was really hurting him. He didn’t sit there long. He stepped up and played extremely well,” Givens said. “I will be surprised if he is back (at UK). He played great. It was like he didn’t know what the situation was like (playing in his first NCAA tourney). He was super fun to watch. He never let up.”

Calipari praised his freshman not only for playing “beat up” but also taking over at point guard full-time the last six weeks after Sahvir Wheeler went out with injuries.

An emotional Wallace didn’t want to comment on future plans after the season-ending loss.

“I loved every moment of this year getting to know these players as men and growing a bond with them and even Coach and the staff,” he said.

North Laurel’s Reed Sheppard became a McDonald’s All-American and University of Kentucky signee this season and neither one surprised coach Nate Valentine.

“Reed has continued to develop his game as you would expect from a great player like him,” Valentin said. “He has got a lot stronger. But the biggest thing is he is more mentally strong.”

Valentine says there is no way to prepare for what Sheppard has faced this season.

“I tell our guys they have no idea what it is like to walk in Reed’s shoes and 99.9 percent of people will never know what it is like,” Valentine said. “You think he’s living in a fantasy world where everybody wants to take pictures with him or have him sign an autograph.

“I don’t think any Kentucky high school player since maybe Rex Chapman has endured all he has. Whether we win or lose or he plays great or bad, there will be a line of 50 people, mostly students who yelled and heckled him during the game wanting an autograph or to take a picture after the game. He does it. He puts a smile on his face and does it every game.”

Valentine knows Sheppard will face the same kind of spotlight at Kentucky but feels it is different for a “17- or 18-year-old high school kid” compared to a college athlete.

“The things he has gone through publicly-wise is higher than any player in Kentucky or maybe nationally other than Bronny James (LeBron James’ son). In terms of just pure attention, it has to be an all-time high in Kentucky but he has handled it well.”

Sheppard’s high school career ended last week in a 62-54 loss to George Rogers Clark at the state tourney when he had 23 points, seven assists, four steals, four rebounds and two blocks.

“It has been a heck of a ride. I could not ask for anything better. Coach (Nate) Valentine has been there through it all. North Laurel has been awesome to me and I could not ask for anything else,” Sheppard said after the loss.

He is the state’s third all-time leading scorer with 3,727 points — behind only the record-breaking 4,359 points by Lyon County junior Travis Perry and 4,337 of King Kelly Coleman. He finishes with 1,050 rebounds along with 1,214 assists — the second best total in state history behind 1,352 by Michael Jones of Harlan from 1989-94.

If that’s not enough, he also has 653 steals — again the most in state history based on the Kentucky High School Athletic Association record book.

For his career, he was a 52 percent shooter from 2-point range and 37 percent from 3 despite being the focus of almost every team’s defense for three years. He averaged 22.59 points, 6.37 rebounds, 7.35 assists and 3.98 steals per game in his career.

He was not a factor for Kentucky once Southeastern Conference play started, but Kentucky coach John Calipari insists he has not lost faith in Ugonna Onyenso’s potential even though he did not play in either NCAA Tournament game last weekend.

“He’s behind some pretty good players, but at the end of the day, my guess is he’ll be, if not the best, one of the best big guys in the country next year,” Calipari said.

The five-star, 7-foot Onyenso reclassified to the 2023 recruiting class late last summer and didn’t get to UK in time to even make the trip to the Bahamas. However, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony had Onyenso as the No. 40 overall pick in a  recent 2024 NBA mock draft even though he averaged only 2.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 6.9 minutes per game in 16 appearances this season. (Onyenso is not eligible for this year’s draft).

In non-conference play, had nine points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in 19 minutes against Howard and seven points, 10 rebounds and three blocks against North Florida.

Calipari said Lance Ware was a more physical player than Onyenso and Daimion Collins, who also played sparingly, was a similar player to Onyenso but with more experience.

“I met with Ugonna. He’s the greatest kid. He said, ‘Coach, coach, coach, I didn’t expect to be playing. Whatever you need me to do, I’m there.’ He has gotten so much better as a player,” Calipari said.

“You think about what he did early. But you got Oscar (Tshiebwe) , you got Daimion, you got Lance, you got some big guys out there.”

Onyenso was the one consoling Tshiebwe the most after UK’s season-ending loss to Kansas State Sunday.

“I have learned so much from him and it was not just basketball,” Onyenso said. “He’s been more than a brother. He’s really helped me.”

One of Kentucky’s major 2025 football recruiting targets has been upgraded to a top 15 prospect nationally by Rivals.com.

Lexington Christian quarterback Cutter Boley is now ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in his recruiting class and 12th best overall prospect. He’s still considered a four-star prospect but has  moved closer to being a five-star recruit. He recently got a scholarship offer from Notre Dame and spent last weekend visiting Penn State.

The 6-5, 200-pound Boley threw for 3,901 yards and 36 touchdowns last season after transferring from Larue County to LCA despite battling several nagging injuries. He’s

Boley has been at Kentucky several times since offensive coordinator Liam Coen returned.  However, he has offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Oregon, LSU, Michigan and Tennessee along with many others. He has been to UK’s spring practice to connect with Coen and watch new UK quarterback Devin Leary. He plans to return to practice again with his parents.

Boley’s sister, the No. 5  prospect in her recruiting class,  played basketball at Notre Dame and then Oregon and his brother played at Wyoming.