John Calipari raves about the unselfishness from Cason Wallace

John Calipari has found yet another freshman gem in Kentucky guard Cason Wallace. The No. 1 combo guard and No. 8 player from the 2022 class per On3 has made an instant impact in Lexington. That’s because, above anything else, his demeanor is rooted in selflessness.

Calipari sang Wallace’s praises following the Wildcat’s 73-69 win over Michigan at the Hall of Fame Classic in London. He says Wallace is thriving already because his mind is focused on his team and winning rather than anything he does individually.

“I just know what he is…He does a little bit of everything. He’s a player who doesn’t care about scoring,” Calipari said. “(Cason) got the MVP, but Jacob (Toppin) got Most Impactful. And he’s probably happy about it. He doesn’t care. When you’re so worried about all the stuff that really doesn’t matter? That messes your game up.”

Wallace is averaging 11 points per game with 4.6 assists on 53.1% shooting from the field and 50% from deep. His reputation as a high-level defender has shined as well with an average of 2.6 steals per game.

It’s not that he’s unselfish in the typical ways either. He definitely is as a passer and defender but, as he said after hitting a big shot late in the win over the Wolverines, he says he chooses to take over games and both take and make big shots because, if not, that would make him a selfish player when it comes to his team’s success.

“We’ve been in practice stressing inside out threes. We get to the paint, kick it out, and you’ve got to shoot it if you’re open,” said Wallace. It was one of those moments where it was inside-out, and I had to shoot it. Because if I don’t, I would have been a selfish teammate. So I shot the ball, and it went in.”

These are the kinds of players who have thrived under Calipari at Kentucky. Based on the early returns, Wallace looks to be in line as the next special freshman prospect for the Wildcats. If he can continue to grow and progress too, Calipari will have another star at his disposal, whether he puts the ball in his hands more or not.