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Kentucky
Cason Wallace

Kentucky

Freshman
HT/WT/WS6' 3", 185lbs
Age19

PTS

11.7
  

AST

4.3
  

REB

3.7
  

FG%

44.6
 
Big Board Rankings

Scouting Sources

Jonathan Givony

Community Scouting Reports (83)

Leif Thulin
u/pistoleif

#10

RANK

Cason Wallace: 6'4" 185 lbs 11.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.3 apg, 2.0 spg, 44.6% fg%, 34.6% 3%, 75.7% ft%.

Cason Wallace is a coach's dream. Cason is regarded as a defender first and foremost but also possesses an expanding offensive arsenal that is not heavily reliant on any aspect of his game. He may be the most complete prospect in this class that comes from the NCAA ranks, with the fewest true weaknesses. Wallace is the best guard defender in this class and has a claim to be the top shooter among guards that expect to hear their name in the lottery. Wallace combines point of attack defense and fundamentally sound 3 level scoring into being regarded as a top 10 pick.

Strengths:

  • Impacts winning basketball on both ends of the floor.

  • Top tier point of attack defender that can defend a few positions.

  • Never in a rush and plays strong using his body well to battle on D and create space and shield on O.

  • Good shooter who appears likely to continue improving his shot in time. (Guarded catch and shoots 67th percentile (good)).

  • Great at getting to a spot and converting mid-range jumpers.

  • Very good rebounder for a guard.

  • Has a case to be best defender in this class other than Victor.

  • Can play inside and out. Occasionally posts up guards.

Weaknesses:

  • Not a super athletic guy who has burst that stands out.

  • How well can he be the primary facilitator in an offense where more is asked of him?

  • Does the shot project to the NBA 3 point line?

  • Doesn't create loads of space in ISO. Uses braun more than wiggle.

Swing Skill: Cason Wallace seems like a safe draft pick so what brings him over the top? I believe Wallace has to improve his floor general and facilitation game to be more of a plus than a net neutral in order to reach his ceiling as an NBA player. Cason Wallace played point guard at Kentucky at times and they got better but he wasn't too comfortable. Wallace ran 133 pick and rolls as the ball handler and produced well in those attempts. If he becomes a decisive point guard with the improved spacing in the NBA while still hitting mid range shots and playing great point of attack defense, there is certainly a high ceiling for Wallace.


Analysis done by @pistoleif. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
PAOLO IS GOATED
u/MohidHassan

#15

RANK

Tier: Long-Term Starter

Player Comparisons: Eric Bledsoe, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jrue Holiday

Cason Wallace is a combo guard with amazing skills. He’s a good scorer and can get his own shot from outside as well as penetrate the lane. He’s also an elite defender who uses his great speed to lock down opposing ball handlers. Wallace is always a threat to steal the ball away. He's not very good at his left-hand dribble but is great with his right. This will be something that he needs to work on to develop in the NBA.


Analysis done by @MohidHassan. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Brett Bischel
u/brettbischel

#15

RANK

-----Age:19.6 / Fr
Minutes:32.2
Pts:11.7
Reb:3.7
Ast:4.3 ↑
Blk:0.5
Stl:2.0
TO:2.1
PF:2.4
PER:18.5
ORat:113.8
DRat:100.5
3pt:34.6%
2pt:51.4%
FT:75.7%

  • 2.03 assist-to-turnover ratio 7th among all Freshman.

  • Height w/o shoes: 6'2.5"

  • Wingspan: 6'8.5"

  • Max vertical: 36.0"

  • Kentucky went 22-12 in 2022-23, and lost in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament (#6 seed).


Analysis done by @brettbischel. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
QDI
u/jryte

#6

RANK

Bio: Kentucky, November 7, 2003 (19), 6’2.5”, 195 lb, Point Guard

Stats:

Strengths:

  • On and off ball defense

  • Bothering opponents

  • Pnr Playmaking

  • Shooting

Weaknesses:

  • Can’t always get good separation

  • Lacks elite burst

Rundown:

Cason has a strong case as the single most talented defensive player in college last year. He pestered opponents all season with his resilient on ball defense, and ability to poke the ball away. Cason is more of an old school point guard in some ways, but has strong shooting capabilities. He doesn’t always create a lot of separation on his shots, but he doesn’t need to. Look for a guy that can run an NBA offense on day one.

Shades of: Marcus Smart


Analysis done by @jryte. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Raw Hoops
u/RawHoops

#6

RANK

19.6 year-old 6'4 PG/SG. Perimeter Lockdown. Absolute menace with the tools, fundamentals, and hustle to be the best defensive guard in the league for years. He has a knack for steals both on-ball and off-ball and can use his length and peskiness to guard bigger opponents well. Projects well as a C&S 3-point shooter with his quick release, but has struggled creating his own shot. His high basketball-IQ helps him find open space often, and as his game develops he could become a more deadly shooter off the dribble. He is comfortable with runners, floaters, and scoring around the rim, and has shown promise he could develop into a 3-level-scorer. Cason hasn't shown much to make me think that he can be an NBA team's primary scorer, but he may still be able to lead an offense with his low turnover, good decision making style of play.

Strengths:

++++Perimeter Defense

+++Steals

+++Basketball IQ

++Toughness

++3-point shooting

++Turnovers

+Blocks

+Versatility

+Passing

Weaknesses:

--Shot Creation

--Handle

-Burst

-Explosiveness

Shades Of:

Jrue Holiday, Marcus Smart, Eric Bledsoe, Alex Caruso

Ceiling: All-Star, DPOY, 2-Way Pass-First Sharpshooter

Floor: Bench, Perimeter Lockdown

Team Fit:

Cason's best-case development is as a lead guard, but he may be more effective at the beginning of his career as an off-ball guard that thrives in the catch-and-shoot. Essentially, any team with room for a guard has a spot for Cason.

Best fits within range: Washington, Utah, Orlando, Indiana


Analysis done by @RawHoops. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Buki
u/Buki

#3

RANK

As inevitable as it is to compare Dick to guys like Huerter and Thompson, it might be even more to compare Cason Wallace and Jrue Holiday. The man bothers everyone in the defensive end of the floor using his length and lower body strength to defend anyone anytime.

His offense is mainly predicated in his catch and shoot skills and his willingness to playmake out of the pick and roll. He's not good off the dribble or creating separation with his handles, but he's more than fuctional and smart on that end to operate an offense as a PG in the future.


Analysis done by @Buki. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Generic Person
u/amfueg0367

#9

RANK

Cason Wallace is an absolute pest and is probably the smartest defender in this draft class. He has a knack for racking up steals and bugging his man. He’s great at on-ball coverage and never relents when it comes to perimeter defense. He’s a special point-of-attack defender that will disrupt offenses. Cason plays a lot bigger than his actual size and keeps a strong stable stance when staying in front of his man. He is very rarely pushed around by bigger players and knows when to move back when switched on a larger player. He’s really good at knowing when to poke at the ball and he uses it well strategically by sometimes poking without intention for the steal but with the idea of moving the player back into a worse position. Cason really separates himself as a defender when you look at his impact off of the ball. The way he gets steals is by reading the floor and the opponent's offensive scheme is spectacular. He knows opponents passing lanes and is great at blocking them to create turnovers and converting defense into offense for his teammates. He has great body control and mental poise when it comes to bolder defensive plays. Cason never over-extends on a play and tries to go for the big moment over the safer play for the good of the team. He works well as a personal unit and in a team's scheme. He really shows wisdom beyond his years when it comes to that side of the ball which makes him seem like a very likable and valuable asset to many NBA teams as a guy that can make an impact right away. We've seen teams value defense so highly with this recent surge of offensive ability, so having a guy that can contain that one-on-one at a high level is key. Cason’s court awareness is exceptional which really transcends him to being a dynamic defensive piece that can plug into any system. This spatial attentiveness isn’t exclusive to the defensive end and it clearly bleeds into his offensive game as well. He isn’t a strong self creator but he can open up easy opportunities for others. He knows how to make simple passes like easy kick outs, lobs, and cuts for effortless baskets. He’s been underrated by many as a primary playmaker and I think that this creator-type skill is what makes him a starter and ball handler worthy as a lead guard once he gets to the league. His shooting has been critiqued because he’s had some big cold streaks throughout the year but I think that is partly due to the overall inconsistency of the Kentucky roster and the lack of reliability around him. His form is fine and his percentage has been good when he does have that stability. Cason has a nice fast release that works really well in spot-up opportunities. His catch-and-shoot percentage on the season has been above 40% but the reason why the overall split hasn’t been super high is because he is leaned on as a creator. In the league, his offensive role won’t be that of a lead perimeter scorer so I think that he will fare a lot better in a more refined role. A lot of his points will come from angled drives to the basket because although he isn’t very strong he finds ways to get the ball in the basket. Not many players have his level of touch and feel for contorting themselves and the ball in order to score. He uses quick agile movements to convert on tough finishes. He doesn’t have the burst to be a real cutter but he still manages to find ways to be effective in the half-court and in transition. His propensity to score around the rim might not be sustainable due to his lack of athleticism but I believe in his craftiness translating to the next level. I think he has a lot of traits that allow him to work well on and off the ball. Cason has shown flashes of being that aforementioned lead ball handler but I think he can be just as effective next to a primary creator. Many are underrating him and his stock due to this lack of belief in his upside as a star player, but his skill set brings an impact that many aren’t seeing correctly. The messes of Kentucky kind of give Cason a poor reflection but all the attributes of a winning and impactful player are all there. He’s a high-level processor that has skills that will easily establish him in a contributing role. He isn’t someone that will command the ball or take shots away from others but instead elevate his teammates' level of play. I see his role evolving and amplifying to another level once he gets to the league because of his defensive proneness and translatable capabilities. He’s a player that should be a safe bet to give a team a real impact right away. His intelligence and poise aren’t something you find very often in a player his age.


Analysis done by @amfueg0367. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
MARTIGNONI MATTEO
u/martignonimatte

#9

RANK

OFFENSE Good C&S shooter, repeatable and fluid form has been shooting really well to start the year, good form and has flashes off relocations, not much off movement HE IS SHOOTING 57% FROM THE LINE AS OF NOW NOT GREAT BUT FEW ATTEMPTS solid as a playmaker, was running the show without wheeler, different now that is back good ball mover, great at post entry passes very unselfish and can make basic reads, out of P&R too TO DETERMINE HIS CEILING, CAN HE BE A PRIMARY? From what I have seen NO , not very creative , sometimes a bit hesitant he is good enough athlete , has flashes finishing in the paint , has good % there has a very good floater he doesnt play with much spacing so maybe that's why he is tentative BUT only 2 games with more than 9 shots is little

DEFENSE one of the best defensive guards prospect of the last few years His physicality, low center of gravity & advanced technique with hand placement makes him functionally bigger great lateral movement good at sliding and strong enough to deal with bumps a lot like jimmy butler with how they play defense ~4 inches taller than listed HE IS 6.4 has quick and stong hands, great reaction times high level processor and awareness off ball sometimes gamble too much and sometimes slightly undisciplined going under screens


Analysis done by @martignonimatte. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
PaoloOwnsYou
u/PaoloOwnsYou

#9

RANK

Cason Wallace is a combo guard with amazing skills. He’s a good scorer and can get his own shot from outside as well as penetrate the lane. He’s also an elite defender who uses his great speed to lock down opposing ball handlers. Wallace is always a threat to steal the ball away. He's not very good at his left-hand dribble but is great with his right. This will be something that he needs to work on to develop in the NBA. He’s a special defender, perhaps the best defensive guard prospect in the class. He’s been great as a 3 point shot this year. He’s a solid playmaker and will do what you need him to. He can play on and off the ball at an elite level. He has high playmaking upside. He’s almost certainly going to be one of the top defenders in the league. This guy may be a future DPOY, don’t count him out. His finishing is solid, finishing at a high rate.


Analysis done by @PaoloOwnsYou. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
SimplyCJ18
u/SimplyCJ18

#10

RANK

DeAnthony Melton/Alex Caruso/Marcus Smart hybrid. A bull on both ends of the court with great strength and instincts. Terrific instincts on the defensive end. Quick enough to stay in front of most guards, strong enough to defend against post-ups. Great off-ball and help defender. Projects to be an average three-point shooter at the next level (great 47% from 3, but shooting only 57% from FT as of 1/3/23). Good handle and straight-line speed allow him to penetrate the rim via dribble drives or as a slasher. Moves the ball and has decent IQ on offense. Secondary playmaker potential. Terrific rebounder for his size.


Analysis done by @SimplyCJ18. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.