Cason Wallace named MVP of Kentucky's win over Michigan

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Cason Wallace hit the biggest shot of his young basketball career so far. He’ll return to the states with the hardware to prove it.

The Kentucky freshman point guard drilled a game-sealing 3-pointer with 1:11 left on the clock against Michigan on Sunday afternoon in London, England. Wallace’s massive shot gave the Wildcats a critical 71-66 advantage, putting the final stamp on his impressive individual performance, but more importantly, it helped lead Kentucky to the win.

“It was one of those moments where it was inside-out, and I had to shoot it,” Wallace said postgame. “If I don’t, I would have been a selfish teammate. So I shot the ball and it went in.”

Wallace did miss a pair of free throws with just six seconds left, but Kentucky still held onto a four-point lead that Michigan did not have enough time to overcome.

Cason Wallace CLUTCH! pic.twitter.com/gfNu37XAMT

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) December 4, 2022

Wallace finished his day against the Wolverines with 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one block, and one steal in 36 minutes played. The 6-foot-4 rookie went 5-8 shooting overall from the field, converting on all four of his attempts from beyond the arc. Factoring in his game-deciding triple, Wallace was deservedly honored as the game’s Most Valuable Player after the final buzzer sounded.

“That fella knows how to play,” Michigan head coach Juwan Howard said following his team’s loss. “I’ve watched enough of his games to know he can hit big shots.”

It certainly won’t be the last big shot Wallace takes during his time at Kentucky.