UNC Basketball: Kentucky emerges as favorite for five-star guard

A new leader has emerged for a former UNC basketball recruiting target and it appears to be a Blue Blood program.

Five-star point guard Robert Dillingham was once considered a heavy lean to North Carolina for the longest time. The in-state prospect earned his offer from UNC back on Christmas Day, and was the Tar Heels’ top target moving forward. Even with head coach Hubert Davis, UNC seemed to still prioritize Dillingham.

But then things got strange in his recruitment as he went to Donda Academy, the school started by Kanye West, along with other recruits. Over the summer, things appeared to fall off in terms of interest from UNC’s side and now a new team has emerged as the favorite.

Just days after receiving an offer from John Calipari and Kentucky, the Wildcats appear to be the leader in the clubhouse. On Thursday, the Wildcats received two Crystal Ball predictions on 247Sports for Dillingham.

National recruiting analysts Jerry Meyer and Travis Branham both made predictions for Dillingham to Kentucky, signaling where they think he will land. Now, the predictions don’t mean that he’s guaranteed to go to Kentucky, but typically when national analysts are making predictions, there’s a good chance he ends up there.

Dillingham is ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 8 player in the 2023 class per the 247Sports recruiting rankings. He has a total of 21 offers in his recruitment, landing some from UNC, Memphis, and Kentucky among others. But for now, the Wildcats appear to be in control.

For more on UNC basketball recruiting, please check back with Keeping it Heel.