Top-30 sophomore Dink Pate discusses recruitment, pro route, game

The list of accolades is endless for Dallas, Texas native Dink Pate. The 6-foot-7, 180-pound prospect is a member of the super talented 2024 class, one of which he’s ranked amongst the Top-30 prospects nationally, a ranking I expect will see a major boost as AAU season is in full swing.

As a freshman at Pinkston, Pate averaged nearly 18 points per game and was Dallas Morning News’ newcomer of the year. He recorded over 450 points in his first high school season. In his second? he didn’t disappoint.

Pate made the move to Prolific Prep for his sophomore season, and despite being one of the team's youngest players, Pate had an immense impact on the program but would wound up going back home to Texas halfway through the season. 

He finished his season at Lancaster (TX) where he just continued where he left off at Prolific. A nice ending to his high school season led him to a handful of new scholarship offers during the live period this year. Coaches rave about this kid and he’s a prospect that I feel is extremely slept on and should be on every college coach and pro options radars.

Pate will be back at Pinkston for his junior campaign, where I can almost guarantee he will continue to dominate. 

Stockrisers.com caught up with Pate to discuss his recruitment, the professional route, and his game.

Which schools are involved early on with your recruitment?

“Every school that has offered me I still keep in touch with. I don’t have any favorites or anything like that right now, but, I’m just enjoying the process and grateful for the schools that want to recruit me. Even the schools that haven’t offered me yet.”

Which schools are recruiting you that haven’t offered yet?

“The schools recruiting me that haven’t offered just yet are Texas, Baylor, Cincinnati, UCLA, Kansas, Ohio State, and Memphis.”

And obviously, the new era includes the pro route. Could that be a potential option for you out of high school?

“Right now, I’m just focused on being the best high school player in the country one day. Going pro and going to the NBA is my number one goal of mine. So of course I’ve had some talks with my family about that and it most definitely is an option given the opportunity.”

As far as your recruitment, wanted to discuss 2-3 schools. What is Texas A&M’s pitch to you?

“Texas A&M has been on me pretty heavy for a year now. We started our relationship last summer. I’ve visited their campus during a game last year. It was fun and had a great atmosphere. The coaches on their staff really like my game. They feel I can come there and contribute early. They like the fact that I’m a big guard and can play both the one and the two. So they view me as a combo guard.”

How about LSU?

“LSU has new coaches but whenever the new staff got there they contacted my AAU coach and let him know my offer was still committable. Coach Ropert and Coach Hamilton are both there now and we’re recruiting before they got there from Memphis and Ole Miss.”

Arizona?

“Arizona was one of my first offers. I was offered as a freshman by the old staff by Jason Terry, but this new staff has been recruiting me hard. I talk to the assistant coach Jay Gardner the most from there. They like that I’m a scorer. I like that they are a lot about scoring and getting up and down the floor. I like their style of play. They are one at the top of my list for sure.”

Now your game. Point guard, what comes off the top of your head when you hear Point guard.

“I think of Me. That’s what I am. That’s what I want people to see me as. When I think of a Point Guard I think of a person who can control the flow and timing of a game and get other people involved. Right now I’m up to about six assists a game. The goal is to average a double-double with assists and points and get a few triple-doubles when I really try to. I’m tall but a lot of coaches are surprised and give me credit for my ball-handling skills and court vision. Some people call me a Wing or small forward. I’m definitely more than just that.”

As a point guard, what aspects of your game are you working on?

“I can always get better at everything. I’m pretty athletic but I would like to be stronger and even more bouncy in my game. I’m good offensively but I always want to get me scoring even better. Been known as a deep three-point shooter for a long time but now I’ve added driving to my game. I need to get better at my mid-range. And most importantly I want to be a better defensive threat. I think if I lockdown more on defense I can be a real threat.”

As far as the league now, which guys do you kinda emulate your game after?

”I’m grateful for a lot. I thank god for putting me in this position that I am in, but I think I’m very underrated and people don’t respect what I’ve accomplished since being in high school. I want it all. I want to prove that I belong at the Top-10 in the country. I want to prove that no other player has had a more competitive two years of high school basketball than I and had more accomplishments. I want to prove I belong on every top ranking, that I deserve every top offer, and that I’m a future McDonald’s All-American. I want everything as a high school player that I think I deserve. Team USA, McDonald’s, NBA Top100 Camp, Hoop Summit, Jordan Classic, Iverson Classic. I want it all. I think I’ve put in the work and I think I put up the stats and tape to deserve those things.”