Kentucky G League target Dink Pate commits to Providence

A top Kentucky target has opted for the Big East.

On Thursday night, G League guard Dink Pate committed to the Providence Friars, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. The 6-foot-8 wing with the Westchester Knicks was set to have Zoom meetings with Kentucky and SMU this week, but he landed with Providence’s new head coach, Bryan Hodgson.

There are concerns over whether or not Pate will be eligible to play college basketball in 2026-27. Although he was never drafted into the NBA, he forwent his college eligibility out of high school in 2023 and has played professionally in the G League ever since. The New York Knicks signed Pate to an Exhibit 10 deal in September 2025, but he never suited up to play in an official NBA game.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope went to see Pate play in person multiple times last month, most recently on March 28. Pate was previously coached by former Kentucky assistant Jason Hart, who is now an assistant at SMU, when Hart was the head of the G League Ignite from 2021 to 2024. Those connections had the Wildcats and Mustangs viewed as the frontrunners until Pate turned both down.

Providence has landed a commitment from G League guard Dink Pate, source confirmed to @On3.

Huge pickup for Bryan Hodgson.

First by @jeffborzello. https://t.co/vAbcrebL2v

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 10, 2026

Across 50 games this past season for the Westchester Knicks, Pate averaged 16.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and four assists per outing while shooting 40 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from deep, and 74 percent from the free-throw line. He went for 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three turnovers in 35 minutes when Pope went to see him play in late March.

Pate expressed interest in playing in college back in January, but his status as a professional player in the G League always clouded his eligibility status. Now that he’s committed to Providence, the Friars will need to hope he can get cleared by the NCAA.