A breakout summer for Team Trae Young has the name of one Class of 2024 prospect on the lips of college coaches of the country: Dink Pate.

Playing up a level for TTY this summer, Dink averaged 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds per game in 3SSB action. But what coaches are seeing goes beyond the numbers. Dink has the vision of a point guard with the size of a forward, and he’s embracing comparisons to an all-time great point guard.

“I pattern my game after Penny Hardaway, for sure. Just his versatility and his ability to take over the game. I watch a lot of film on him and study him, he recently told Sports Illustrated. “I’m a point guard,” Pate says. “That’s where I’m at my best. I’m not a taller guy who is trying to be a point guard, either; that’s my more natural position. I love to pass and just make plays for my teammates.”

Dink recently found out during a visit to Alabama that he’s gained an inch in height, up to 6-8.

With that combination of size, skill, and maturity, it’s no wonder he’s on the radar of all the elite college programs. Coaches from Kentucky, Georgetown, Texas and Arkansas are among the almost 20 programs to visit with Dink this month.

And coaches had plenty to see in September, as they rolled through Pinkston, Texas to see Dink at the Exposure Fall Shootout.

In addition Dink was one of the standouts at GASO, including a highlight reel alley-oop that had Twitter buzzing.

A week later, Dink was back at it at the John Lucas Be Elite 2022 Camp.

That same week, Rivals released an update to their rankings for the Class of 2024 and Dink was upgraded to five-star status, breaking into the Top 20 at No. 18.

As of October 2nd, Dink was sitting on 27 offers with more expected this fall as he makes visits to Kentucky, Georgetown and others.

Needless to say Dink has arrived, and as a former teammate put it to Sports Illustrated, HIS time is now.

“Dink is going to be him for sure,” his former teammate MJ Rice, who now plays at Kansas said. “I’ve been keeping up with Dink, and he’s becoming exactly what I knew he’d be: a killer out there on the court.”