G-League guard Dink Pate has to be a member of Kentucky's 2026-27 roster

The name Dink Pate has sparked a ton of conversation between members of Big Blue Nation. Pate is a member of the G-League playing for the Westchester Knicks, where he has been quite impressive, averaging 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.

In December, Pate had a triple-double for the Westchester Knicks, where he scored 37 points to go with 13 assists and 11 rebounds. The 6’7 guard is a three-level scorer that can make a team better in every way.

Pate never played college ball despite being an elite recruit because he went the G-League route out of high school, back when that was an option for the players. He ended up going undrafted and has been playing in the G-League ever since.

February 14, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Team G-League guard Dink Pate (1) of the Mexico City Capitanes drives to the basket against Team C forward Ryan Dunn (0) of the Phoenix Suns and forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) of the Golden State Warriors during the 2025 NBA Rising Stars Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Now the soon to be 20-year-old guard is exploring the option of playing college ball, and Mark Pope has shown some real interest. Pope went to see Pate the other day, and it is clear that there is some real fire here.

On my podcast, Wildcats Today, Pate was the topic of discussion yesterday, and the YouTube comments on this video and everything I have seen on social media have a lot of Kentucky fans saying they don’t want a G-League player.

The reality of this situation is very simple: adapt or die. I understand that some fans may night like the new craziness of college athletics, but at the end of the day, it is the situation we are in. Also, Pate needs to be looked at like a European player because he never was drafted in the NBA, and he isn’t like Charles Bediako and trying to come back to college basketball after leaving for the league.

Pate would come into Lexington next season and immediately be one of the best players in the SEC. Coach Pope recently said that they will do anything the NCAA deems allowed, so if the NCAA is okay with this, Big Blue Nation should also be okay with it.

An example I gave on the Wildcats Today Podcast yesterday was that of Dabo Swinney at Clemson. He has been very anti-portal, and the Tigers haven’t been as good as they were years ago. As fans of college athletics, crazy changes are being seen every day, but the reality is this is the era of college sports we live in.

It’s different, no question, but Kentucky does not have any payers committed in the 2026 class, and Pate is the equivalent of landing an elite five-star. With the projected returners, Kentucky will have next season, plus adding Pate, Kentucky would be a few transfers away from an elite roster. I am fully in the camp that Pope needs to do everything in his power to land Pate.