Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston embracing pressure at Kentucky

Pressure can either make diamonds or burst pipes, especially at a place like Kentucky. We saw the latter unfold for the Wildcats when postseason play rolled around this year, falling in the SEC Tournament semifinals and then suffering a historic opening-round loss to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament.

Now imagine being a recruit set to arrive on campus just months after that loss. It’s the same program and spotlight, but with the added weight of zero NCAA Tournament wins since 2019 now on your shoulders. It was also a season in which Kentucky was surpassed by Kansas in all-time wins and North Carolina in all-time postseason wins.

Now it’s on you to fix it. All of it.

With Shaedon Sharpe enrolling early and Skyy Clark decommitting from the program, five-star signees Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston are Kentucky’s lone high school additions in the class of 2022. Like many players under John Calipari, the guard and forward prospects have both been named McDonald’s All-Americans. None, though, have been tasked with rebuilding the program’s status as the gold standard of college basketball the way they will.

“Pressure is who I am.”

In a make-or-break season, the pair of Wildcats are prepared to be the reason Kentucky returns to the top of the food chain among blue blood programs.

“Pressure is everything for me,” Wallace told KSR at the McDonald’s All-American Games Media Day. “I like pressure, really. Pressure is who I am. I’ve been dealing with pressure my whole life, so I’m good for a little challenge, you know? Adversity is pretty good.”

Like most — if not all — Kentucky fans, Livingston has title dreams in year one. The sturdy 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward is built to handle that weight on his shoulders. He embraces it. After talking things over with Calipari following Kentucky’s season, Livingston believes this roster will be built to compete, and he’s prepared to help the team do just that.

“I apply some of that pressure to myself,” Livingston told KSR. “I’ve seen the roster, what we’re going to have next year. I feel like we should do nothing but great things with that team, you know what I’m saying? It would be underachieving to not achieve some of the goals that I have set in my mind.”

Returning to championship-level performance

UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said after the season that Kentucky must return to playing “championship-level” basketball. “We need to return to that,” he said. “Our fans deserve that.”

Kentucky’s signees understand the frustration and impatience. They agree with it. The program is in desperate need of a run, and they want to be the reason it happens next season.

“I feel for what (the fans are) feeling,” Livingston told KSR. “You know, I kind of agree with them, I just kind of want to do a lot better. I feel like we’ve got a good group to do that. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Just doing what I’m capable of and showing the fans and supporters that we’ll go pretty far next year,” Wallace added.

Their roles at Kentucky next season to help make that happen?

“(Calipari) just told me to go be a player,” Wallace told KSR. “I’m going to be on the court. Numbers don’t really matter, it’s just a spot that you’ve got to be in. Being able to go out there and be myself is something that I’m glad to have.”

“Just being a wing, playing off the ball, obviously,” Livingston added. “Being a guard and a forward, playing a versatile role. He showed me a lot of film on (Hamidou) Diallo when he was at Kentucky, Devin Booker, how he came off screens and got into catch-and-shoot situations. Being an athlete while also being a knockdown shooter off the ball. And of course, you know, you’ve got to play defense. That’s high school, college, or the next level after that. That’s a given.”

Competing with the best

Kentucky is also expected to hit the transfer portal to find plug-and-play pieces to fit alongside the returning players already on the roster. The Wildcats have also been linked with two new pieces in the senior class, visiting five-star forward Leonard Miller out of Canada and extending an offer to unranked guard Adou Thiero out of Pennsylvania.

Whoever Calipari decides to bring in, Livingston is ready to lace them up and compete.

“I will be able to impact Kentucky positively with whoever Coach brings in, you know what I’m saying?” the five-star wing told KSR. “I’m confident in my game and who I am to play with the guys around me. I don’t think that’s really a big concern for me.”

Wallace is bringing that same mindset with him to Lexington. Whoever returns or decides to join him is more than welcome — he’ll be sticking to his long-term plan and goals regardless.

“Their legacy and it’s always been a dream of mine,” Wallace said of why he chose to sign with Kentucky. “I like to stick to my path. If I put my mind to something, I want to go and get it. So I went and got it. It was kind of a no-brainer for me. I wanted it, I went and got it, so why not just go ahead and go there?”

Succeed and proceed

Like most McDonald’s All-Americans, Wallace has NBA dreams. It’s why he put in the work he did to play for a school like Kentucky. He wants to help the Wildcats make a run before turning pro, a mindset Livingston shares with him.

“I’ve seen the type of players they put into the league,” Wallace told KSR. “I see how the players they put into the league, stick in the league. And that’s what I want to be. I want to stick in the league for many years. …

“I’m ready to get to that dog mentality (at Kentucky). You know, we’re both dogs on the court, so being able to play alongside (Livingston) will be a good experience. … We both have common goals. We both want to go far into our college season and get out of there as soon as possible.”

Wallace and Livingston are prepared to use the pressure that comes with being at Kentucky to make diamonds — literally.