What kind of player is new five-star UK commit Cason Wallace?
John Calipari is on a recruiting roll with a newly assembled coaching staff and plans to bring Kentucky back from a place nobody ever expects it to be.
This week five-star guard Cason Wallace announced his verbal commitment to Kentucky.
The nation's No. 10-ranked prospect from the Class of 2022 is the No. 4 shooting guard in his class. Wallace is a 6'4, 180-pound standout in the backcourt at Richardson, Tex., and he joins Shaedon Sharpe (No. 1) and Chris Livingston (No. 8) as five-star prospects committed to the Wildcats. UK also has a pledge from four-star guard Skyy Clark.
So what kind of player is Wallace and what can Kentucky fans expect from him when he's in Lexington?
To answer that question let's take a trip back in time and find out what basketball recruiting analysts and insiders have said in observing Wallace over many months and a couple of years.
Rivals.com's Jamie Shaw listed Wallace as the best shooting guard at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Orlando over the summer.
"Wallace led his team to both the 3-on-3 championship game and the 5-on-5 championship game. The ultimate competitor, Wallace is an intense two-way threat from the guard position. Playing in 26 minutes per game, the 6-foot-4 Richardson (Texas) High finished the camp second in assists (5.0) and first in steals (3.0) per game while shooting 36.4-percent from three (7th overall)."
Coming out of that same event Shaw had more to say.
"Wallace has a rugged nature about his game, onlookers may call it a winning pedigree, but it is something that shines through every time the Richardson (Texas) High guard steps on the floor. Offensively, he fills in the gaps on any team, with the ability to pass, shoot, and handle. However, defensively he can be a game changer. Questions arise if Wallace can be a true No. 1 option offensively, and that is fine."
Shaw noted along with Rivals.com's Rob Cassidy that while he "may be more of a combo guard than a true point guard, it is easy to see why he is such a hot commodity with the highest level schools and in the conversation for a bump when update time comes."
Kentucky offered Wallace after his last performance at Peach Jam this year.
Cats Illustrated's David Sisk offered his thoughts after the event.
"Cason Wallace had great numbers for the week: 15.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. The guard out of Texas also shot the ball well, but take away the bookends that included a slow start and ended with minimal playing time, and he had a tremendous five-game run. Those numbers increased to 19.4 points, 7.6 boards, and 7.0 assists. His overall shooting percentage climbed to 56.9% and 40.9% from deep. Keep in mind that he is one of the very top perimeter defenders as well as one of the most intense players in the country, and you have a player that is not going to relinquish that fifth star."
After the same event Cassidy chimed in with more.
"Wallace made waves on Saturday by securing an offer from Kentucky, the coaching staff of which watched him turn in a 19-point, nine-round performance from a guard spot against a Team Final squad stacked from top to bottom with high-major talent. So while Wallace and his squad came up short on the scoreboard, his shooting, motor, incredibly active defense and ability to create was enough to earn him a blue blood opportunity."
Earlier reviews
Dustin McComas, then of Orangebloods.com covering Texas basketball here on the Rivals.com network, scouted Wallace and spoke with him much earlier this year in the spring.
"What viewers see when they watch Wallace play isn’t just an extremely talented 6-4 guard capable of impacting the game in all areas. They see the results of a unique approach for a player his age. At the Great American Shootout’s “Own the State” event in Duncanville, Wallace was spotted in between games spending over an hour studying game film with a ProSkills assistant coach.“Just getting better,” responded Wallace about watching film between AAU games. “I mean, I'm going to have to do it at the next level so why not get used to it now?”
"Another unique trait about Wallace: he doesn’t really care where he plays. For ProSkills, the talented guard often ran the point and showed a nice feel for pace, controlling offense, and was extremely difficult to defend once his broad shoulders started moving downhill towards the paint. While most guards with Wallace’s prospect status and skill set would want to play point guard at the next level, he just wants to be on the floor."
Sam Lowe of TexasHoops.com attended a couple of basketball tournaments in Texas last year when Wallace was a bit younger. He shared his evaluation as well.
"He plays with the ball in his hands more often than not and is great at creating with his strong penetrating style and keeping teammates involved with his keen floor vision. He can rise up from any spot and knock down a smooth jumper but is often best when he attacks with his high-end athleticism and looks to finish at the rim. He is a smooth and strong ball-handler who can control the pace of the game and get the defense on edge at all times."