Kentucky basketball commitment page: What to know about UK recruit Cason Wallace
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A competitive, win-first combo guard who should be a perfect fit for John Calipari’s approach, Cason Wallace will come to Kentucky for the 2022-23 season as one of the premier backcourt players in his class and arguably the best on-ball defender in the entire country.
Wallace committed to the Wildcats three days before the start of the November signing period, the fourth member of UK’s much-celebrated 2022 recruiting class and a player who is likely to emerge early on as a fan favorite among the Kentucky faithful.
CASON WALLACE
- Combo guard
- Hometown: Richardson, Texas
- Richardson High School
- 6-foot-4, 185 pounds
- 247Sports: No. 6 overall
- Rivals.com: No. 5 overall
- ESPN.com: No. 14 overall
Wallace jumped in the ranks to five-star status by the start of his junior season, and he took a bigger star turn during his final summer on the grassroots circuit, earning most valuable player honors during Nike EYBL play and leading his Pro Skills team to a 12-1 record at the annual Peach Jam tournament.
Though he has the ability to be one of the best perimeter scorers in the country, Wallace is also a playmaking guard who looks to get his teammates the ball. He’s a great positional rebounder and a terrific defender, arguably the best perimeter player in the country on that end of the floor.
“He’s just different than a normal high school kid,” said Richardson High head coach Kevin Lawson. “The fact that he’s able to guard the other team’s best player and be so productive on the other end of the floor — that’s special. And it’s not just, ‘He can score 30 points a game.’ The reason he’s blown up is because of both ends of the floor, and it’s all the stuff that he can do all the way around.”
Wallace averaged 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game as a high school junior, leading Richardson all the way to the Texas state semifinals. He earned several high-major scholarship offers before choosing Kentucky over fellow finalists Tennessee, Texas and UT San Antonio, where his older brother was a star player in recent years.
Those who have followed Wallace’s high school career closely say he values winning above all else, even if it means sacrificing individual stats for the success of the team.
“He’s going to do what it takes to win, and he’s not a kid that’s worried about stats,” said Texas high school basketball analyst Ani Umana. “He’s worried about winning. So he’s always done things to help his team win.”
Quotable
“If you need him to play on it and kind of get guys going, he can do that. If you need him to guard the best perimeter player, he can do that. He’s a switchable defender, as well, at the college level. If you need him to bring a scoring punch, he can do that. I just think his overall versatility on the offensive and defensive end — he just brings that.” — Texas high school basketball expert Ani Umana
Calipari says
“Cason is a winner and a competitor who reminds me of Eric Bledsoe and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. I don’t like to make a lot of comparisons like that, but he has a quiet demeanor with a game that speaks loudly. He can shoot it and create for his teammates, but what really separates him is his defense. He is already an elite on-ball defender who takes a lot of pride in that part of the game.”
What’s next?
Wallace will play his senior season at Richardson High School, which he led to the Texas state semifinals last season. He officially signed with the Wildcats on Nov. 10.
This story was originally published November 7, 2021 at 10:01 PM.
