Freshman averaged 11.7 points and 4.3 assists per game
LEXINGTON – April 1, 2023
Kentucky men’s basketball freshman guard Cason Wallace has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft and will forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility.
“I’m all in,” Wallace said in his announcement through ESPN. “This season was fun. It had its ups and downs but the best part was having my brothers with me. We stuck through it and saw it through.
“When NCAA tournament time came, I wanted to give everything I had,” Wallace added. “That was my last game unfortunately, but I went down swinging. Coach Calipari was always there for us; when we lost, he took the blame. He taught me that it was a privilege to play the game. Learning how to play the point guard position the whole game helped. It forced me to step up to another challenge in a new role.”
Wallace was an All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team selection after ranking among the league leaders in assists per game (2nd), assist-to-turnover ratio (4th) and steals per game (4th). He found a variety of ways to impact the game, including finishing third in program history for a freshman with 63 steals. His eight steals against Michigan State in the Champions Classic tied for the most in a single game in UK history.
“Cason is a play-making guard who is going to have the opportunity to make an immediate impact at the next level,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “He has good size and a tremendous feel for the game, and no situation is too big for him. He’s ready to take this step and I’m thrilled for he and his family.”
Wallace averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game in 32 appearances. He had 17 double-figure scoring games and led the team in steals in 19 contests. Wallace had 21 points, four assists, two steals and a career-high nine rebounds against Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament in his final game for the Wildcats.
The NBA Draft Combine will take place May 15-21 and the 2023 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 22.
