Kentucky's Cason Wallace, projected lottery pick, to enter draft

Kentucky freshman Cason Wallace, a projected lottery pick, will forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the 2023 NBA draft, he told ESPN Saturday.

«I'm all in,» Wallace said. «This season was fun. It had its ups and downs but the best part was having my brothers with me. We stuck through it and saw it through.»

Wallace, the No. 10 prospect in ESPN's NBA draft projections, was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after averaging 11.7 points, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals in 32 minutes per game.

He played perhaps his best game of the season in what ended up being his final appearance in a Kentucky uniform, posting 21 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists on 9/11 shooting a NCAA tournament round of 32 loss to Kansas State.

«When NCAA tournament time came I wanted to give everything I had,» Wallace said. «That was my last game unfortunately, but I went down swinging. Coach Calipari was always there for us; when we lost, he took the blame. He taught me that it was a privilege to play the game.»

With Kentucky's starting point guard Sahvir Wheeler injured for the final six weeks of the season, Wallace was thrust into a different role as a primary ball-handler and asked to be a more aggressive scorer, something Wallace says ultimately was good for his development.

«Learning how to play the point guard position the whole game helped,» Wallace said. «It forced me to step up to another challenge in a new role.»

Standing 6-foot-3 with 6-foot-6 wingspan, Wallace is intriguing to NBA teams with his combination of toughness, feel for the game, spot shooting, unselfishness and defensive versatility, giving him a high floor as a prospect. He is one of the most stout defenders in this draft class, something that should help him carve out an