Rob Dillingham ineligible for McDonald’s All-American Game

It looks like Kentucky Wildcats signee Rob Dillingham will not be playing in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

The annual event, which spotlights the top incoming college basketball players in the nation, did not select Dillingham for the game. The reasoning: he apparently isn’t eligible.

The selection committee declared Dillingham, along with his teammates at Overtime Elite, ineligible due to their involvement with OTE.

The selection committee uses the following criteria:

• Has played in 50% of their senior season
• Attends and participates in a high school program that has ONE eligible varsity team and is a member of a high school athletic conference or league.
• Eligible to participate under the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) or other comparable organization.
• Deemed eligible to participate under their high school and governing league policies.
• Academically eligible to participate with their high school team based on their school and league requirements.
• Nominees cannot hold a professional status as a basketball player or receive payment/inducements for participation in basketball games/events.

But the one in bold is the one to pay attention to, because that is the criteria the committee used to exclude Dillingham.

From all reports, Dillingham is thriving academically and otherwise with OTE, and it’s important to note that, according to KSR, the ruling does not affect Dillingham’s eligibility at Kentucky.

The rest of Kentucky’s signing class will be eligible for the game.