Cason Wallace reveals what's next for him, Kentucky teammates during offseason grind

Cason Wallace is getting the full Kentucky basketball experience this summer, traveling throughout the state for camps, two-a-days at the Joe Craft Center while trying to create chemistry and bond with him teammates in an unfamiliar city.

Now that the five-star freshman has spent the last few weeks on campus in Lexington, Wallace is excited for what this year is expected to bring.

“I feel like the next few months is going to be even more fun for me,” Wallace said at a recent Kentucky basketball camp. “We have a tight group, everybody on the team get along pretty well. So I know they got my back I got their backs – there’s nothing that can really break us.

“I get the same thing from everybody. They are great leaders and great people. I feel like I won’t get any bad advice from any of them, so if I need something it doesn’t matter who I call.”

While Wallace gets acclimated off the court, his abilities on the court earned him the reputation as an elite perimeter defender. Standing at 6’3 and weighing 175 pounds, his size gives him a muscular build to compete with guards on the wings. Add a swift pair of hands that can pluck the ball from anyones hand anywhere on the court, and it’s no wonder Wallace himself says his defensive intensity is what sets him apart from the rest.

Kentucky has done well in the past with defensive-minded guards, and playing alongside fellow one of the SEC’s top point guards in Sahvir Wheeler – and all of a sudden John Calipari has one of the best defensive backcourts in the nation. For Wallace, he says he’s ready and able to give it all in order to help his team meet them.

“I know that everybody doesn’t play defense. If that’s what sets me apart from everybody, that’s what I’m willing to do,” he said. “It wins. It helps us win. I’m going to do anything to help us [do that] … I can always do more. That’s the mindset that I have. If you want me to play more defense, I’ll play more defense. I’ll play harder. I’m gonna do whatever we need to do to win.”

While Wallace is a part of a two-man recruiting class alongside fellow McDonald’s All-American Chris Livingston – the smallest class since head coach John Calipari took over the program in 2009 – Kentucky is expected to once again be in the national title come March Madness, and can Wallace be that piece that has been missing for a decade in Lexington en route to their ninth national title.