Kentucky getting "all-around good player" in Cason Wallace

Kentucky will have continuity at the primary point guard spot in 2022-23 with Sahvir Wheeler returning for his senior season. There will, however, be a change at the secondary guard position, with five-star freshman Cason Wallace set to replace TyTy Washington.

Wallace, a native of Richardson, TX, is rated as the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 combo guard in the final On3 Player Rankings. A standout defensive threat with a knack for scoring, the 6-foot-4 guard’s two-way abilities has his teammates excited to suit up alongside him in Lexington.

“Cason, he’s an all-around player,” sophomore forward Daimion Collins told KSR. “He’s good on the offensive side and defensive side. Cason, he’s an all-around good player.”

Collins, a fellow Texas native who also happens to be Wallace’s cousin, says having the five-star guard team up with Wheeler in the backcourt is a match made in heaven. You get the quickness and playmaking with Wheeler, along with the do-it-all nature of Wallace. Put those two together, and Kentucky has something to work with.

“You know Sahvir from last year, he’s a really good player, quick with the ball. He can make quick reads, stuff like that. Having him back is good,” Collins said. “Adding Cason, he can pass, shoot, score and he can defend, all of that stuff. Having him too is really good for the team.”

Wheeler, who grew up in Houston, TX, is excited to add more talent from the Lone Star State, especially from a personality perspective. Knowing where Wallace came from and the playing style of that area, he knows aggressiveness will not be an issue for his backcourt mate.

“I know he’s from Texas, so it’s not going to be too hard to adjust to because I’m familiar with playing guys from Texas,” Wheeler told KSR. “We all have similar play styles as far as being aggressive, playing downhill, but also being unselfish. I don’t think there’s any guy from Texas who’s been selfish. I think we’re going to get along really well.”

Wheeler got the chance to meet Wallace for the first time this week, with the latter moving into the Wildcat Coal Lodge on June 1. It took a second to get the five-star guard out of his shell, but the two hit it off shortly after.

“From meeting with him, chilling out with him, it was fun. Great vibes,” Wheeler said. “He was kind of to himself, but as the day went on, I finally got him to open up and laugh a little bit. I think some of it, having those ties to Daimion allowed him to be more comfortable than he would’ve been. It’s been great to see him, great to meet all of the new players. Looking forward to it as well.”

There’s a common theme with the new guys: hunger. Kentucky sharpshooter CJ Fredrick listed Wallace among the newcomers with a clear passion for winning, with all three freshmen coming in with dog mentalities.

“You have a lot of young guys, Cason (Wallace), Chris (Livingston), Adou (Thiero), guys that are hungry,” Fredrick said. “I think that’s the one thing about this team that you’ll see this year. It’s a lot of guys that kind of have that dog attitude. I think we’ve got a lot of dogs this year. They’re hungry and they want to win. That’s what I’m like, so I’m excited to get after it with them.”

Wallace finished his senior campaign at Richardson High School (TX) averaging 19.9 points, 7.4 boards and 6.1 assists per game. He would go on to be named to the McDonald’s All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Iverson Classic to wrap up his high school career.

What will he do in year one at Kentucky?