5-Stars Justin Edwards, Rob Dillingham Sign NLI With Kentucky
Wednesday was a big day for the future of Kentucky basketball.
5-star recruits Justin Edwards and Rob Dillingham each signed their national letters of intent with UK. They become the second and third official members of the Wildcats' 2023 Class, joining 4-star combo guard Reed Sheppard.
Edwards, a small forward out of Imhotep Institute in Philadelphia, is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the '23 Class. Dillingham, a point guard now playing for Overtime Elite out of Atlanta, checks in at No. 9.
Here's what 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein had to say about each incoming Wildcat:
Edwards:
"When Edwards is at his best, he’s scoring at multiple levels, being active defensively, and showing his ability to rebound in high-volume. He’s a lefty with good positional size at 6-foot-7 and naturally soft hands. He has a very advanced mid-range game with an ability to get to his spots, pull-up over top of contesting defenders, and even utilize a floater if he gets deep enough. He wasn’t just settling for tough twos at the Peach Jam though, and instead attacking the rim aggressively with a straight-line slashing style and no wasted dribbles. He’s also a capable shooting threat from behind the three-point line, but he would do well to keep developing both his handle and his long-distance shooting. Physically, he has a wiry frame that he must bulk-up. He can get bumped off his spots at times offensively, but shows deceptive strength on the defensive end in terms of his ability to body up with bigger players in the post, making him more switchable up the line-up than down. Edwards is also an excellent wing rebounder who is going to be able to play smallball four at the next level once he adds more muscle mass. While he doesn’t measure out especially long, he gets his hands on a lot of balls defensively with good instincts and reactions in any type of trapping or scrambling scheme. Overall, he’s the most versatile scorer of the group, one of the best rebounders, and has some positional versatility."
Dillingham:
"Robert Dillingham is a creative guard who plays with a natural flair for the game. As much as potentially any other guard in the class, he excels at consistently making tough plays and shots, with obviously high degrees of difficulty. He's a virtual wizard with the ball in his hands - tight with his handle and looking to shake his defender at every chance possible with a full assortment of tight cross-overs, spins, and complex combination moves. He can also be shifty with extreme change of pace as a stop-and-go type creator. While he typically plays with a scoring mentality, Dillingham is capable of threading the needle as a passer and creating for his teammates. As a shooter, Dillingham releases the ball from his deep shoulder and needs very little seperation from his defender in order to make tough shots off the dribble. In fact, he's equally likely to shake his man off the dribble for a step-back or pull-up as he is attack the paint. While his EYBL numbers have been efficient through three sessions, there are still moments when he needs to value substance over style - learning to be more efficient with his bounces, beat his man with his first move when he's capable of it, and not settling for tough twos unless it's in a late clock situation. Physically and defensively, he'll also need to make strides. Athletically, he has good pace and quickness, and can rise-up above the rim in open space, but rarely in traffic. He also needs to keep building up his body to better allow him to absorb contact and hold his line on both ends of the floor. His overall defensive intensity will undoubtedly need to be more consistent under John Calipari as well. Overall though, he's one of the most skilled and creative playmaking guards in the class, with undeniable talent with the ball."
It's expected that fellow Kentucky commit Aaron Bradshaw will also sign his NLI during the early signing period, which ends on Nov. 16.
Watch: Ware, Livingston speak to the media ahead of Duquesne
For more on the Wildcats' win over Howard, click here.
More on Cason Wallace's outstanding performance here.
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