Cason Wallace declares for 2023 NBA Draft. Kentucky freshman expected to be 1st-round pick
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Cason Wallace is the latest one-and-done player of John Calipari's tenure at Kentucky. Wallace, who turned in a stellar freshman season for the Wildcats in 2022-23, told ESPN Saturday morning he would hire an agent and enter the 2023 NBA Draft.
"I'm all in," Wallace told 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."
Wallace is expected to be a first-round pick in June's NBA draft.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
ESPN.com ranks Wallace as the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2023 draft. In their latest mock drafts, NBAdraftroom.com projects him going 12th overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder, USA Today has the New Orleans Pelicans selecting him at No. 11 and NBAdraft.net has him going to the Golden State Warriors with the 18th pick.
Looking forward: What's ahead for John Calipari and Kentucky basketball after early NCAA Tournament exit?
A consensus five-star prospect in the Class of 2022 — ranked No. 4 by On3, No. 5 by 247Sports, No. 8 by Rivals and No. 21 by ESPN — Wallace lived up to the hype in his lone season in Lexington.
He scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out nine assists in the Wildcats' opener against Howard, becoming the first UK player to ever post that stat line in his college debut, and the first freshman to accomplish that feat since UCLA's Lonzo Ball in 2016.
Wallace averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a team-best 2.0 steals per game. In UK's double-overtime loss to Michigan State in November, Wallace tied the program's single-game record for steals with eight. His 63 steals in 2022-23 were the third most by a Wildcat freshman, trailing only Rajon Rondo (87) and John Wall (66).
Wallace had 11 assists in Kentucky's win at Mississippi State in February, the second most by a Wildcat freshman in a true road game. Wallace finished with 10 or more points 18 times, highlighted by a career-high 27 against Florida A&M in December.
Sahvir Wheeler: Kentucky basketball loses point guard to transfer portal
Wallace was an All-SEC Freshman Team selection and earned SEC freshman of the week honor on three occasions.
With Wallace moving on, and senior Sahvir Wheeler entering the transfer portal earlier this week, the Wildcats will have to replace their two primary ballhandlers next season. Incoming freshman Robert Dillingham likely will shoulder much of that responsibility, while combo guard and fellow 2023 signee DJ Wagner could share those duties. Rising sophomore Adou Thiero also is a candidate, as he handled the point guard role at times during the 2022-23 campaign when Wallace and Wheeler were unavailable.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball news: Cason Wallace declares for 2023 NBA Draft
