NBA Comparison: Immanuel Quickley/Marcus Smart

Strengths: Wallace may very well be the most physical perimeter defender in the draft this year … At 6’4”, he has a compact frame that despite being around 195 pounds, should be able to add weight and muscle  … Plays a hard-nosed style, especially on defense and does not back down from opponents … Plays passing lanes extremely well and has active hands defensively without letting himself get out of position in order to try to create turnovers … Averaged nearly 2 steals per game in college … Is able to get hands on the ball on opponent drives to disrupt drives to the rim … Stays out of foul trouble pretty well for someone that generally defends the opposing team’s best guard … Is an excellent chase down guy in transition, never gives up on plays and creates a lot of misses by contesting everything … Is a capable rebounder when given the freedom to chase them down, recording 9 in his final game … Is a really good spot up shooter on offense, and does a really good job of relocating after passing to find open spots … Shot 34.6% on threes in college, but a much higher percentage on catch and shoot opportunities … Developed a reputation for being an excellent outside shooter at the high school level … Has a solid runner/floater game, allowing him to score without having to get all the way to the rim … Elevates well for dunks in transition, even on drop steps, showing solid athleticism … Shooting ability is better than he was able to show at UK, making him a potential sleeper for the next level as a scoring combo guard …

Weaknesses: Productivity (11.7 ppg)  and efficiency (34.6 3P%) were not great for such a talented player … Athleticism didn’t pop the same in Lexington as it did in high school … Struggles some when the offense runs through him, not a high volume scorer … While he shoots well off of catch and shoot, he doesn’t seem as natural creating his own three point shot opportunities … Doesn’t get to the free throw line as much as you would like, and can struggle a bit from the line at times (though 76% from the line is sold) … Can be a willing ball mover, but will not pass his teammates open … He is the epitome of a combo guard right now, and needs to further develop his offensive game to play the point full time at the next level … Can be easy to read: prefers to attack the rim strong when driving to his left, but is much easier to influence to a weak finish or pass out when driving to his right … If a defender can cut off his right hand drive, he will generally look to pass out and then relocate … Will need to diversify his offensive attack, as his bag isn’t super deep at this moment … Battled a back injury during his time at Kentucky which left him looking less explosive than he did in high school. Teams will need to evaluate if the back is a long term concern …

Overall: Cason Wallace projects as a player that should be a solid piece and could be a terrific three-and-D player that will benefit from the additional spacing provided to him at the next level … Teams that consider drafting him will need to realize that he’s closer to Marcus Smart than a traditional point guard, but the things he does defensively could end up being elite, and with his shooting and finishing, is not a liability on the offensive end … He will benefit from playing with another ball handler, especially early on in his development … If his back injury doesn’t derail his development, he could be an extremely valuable piece to a team in the late lottery, top 20 range of the draft …

Notes: Measured 6′ 2.50” barefoot, 8′ 5.00” standing reach, 195.2 lbs and a 6′ 8.50” wingspan and a 28 inch standing vertical and a 36′ inch max vertical at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine …

Eric Yearian 4/5/23

Strengths: 6’4 polished combo guard … Good size, length, and versatility for position. Can play on or off the ball … Good strength and doesn’t shy away from physicality … Good athlete and displays it well in both the half-court and in the open floor. Comfortable jumping/dunking off either foot in game situations. Quick first step … Shoots off the catch or dribble. Can pull-up midrange or shoot from 3PT and is a threat to score from anywhere on the floor. Very good touch on floater and hits tough/contested layups at the rim … Reliable free throw shooter. Shot 84% FT% over the Nike EYBL in 2021 … Averaged 14.6 points per game on 47.8% FG% over the Nike EYBL in 2021 … Good ball-handler and plays at different speeds. Effective in the pick & roll whether getting to the rim, passing, or rejecting the screen. Doesn’t rely on triple threat to get to the rim as he can break down the defense and split defenders with his dribble. Pushes the ball in transition and puts pressure on the defense … Good passing and ability to make reads. His athleticism and passing makes him dangerous in transition with his ability to lead and finish. Averaged 4.5 assists to 1.8 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL and a 2^nd best 5 assists to 3 turnover per game at the NBPA Top 100 in 2021 … Good rebounder for position. Averaged 6.8 rebounds per game over the Nike EYBL in 2021 … Takes pride on the defensive end and defends well on and off the ball. Sticks well when defending on the ball and can pick the ball-handler. Defends well and physical without fouling. Led the NBPA Top 100 in steals with 3 per game in 2021. Blocks shots well for position and has a knack for chase downs. Averaged 1.3 blocks per game over both the Nike EYBL and NBPA Top 100 (3^rd best) in 2021 … Natural feel for the game. Knows how to play aggressive without forcing. Has a good balance and understanding of when to play on/off the ball as well as when to step up as a scorer vs. when to facilitate, playing his game no matter who he’s matched with or against. Understands his teammates personnel and utilizes them where they’re most effective … Positively impacts every statistical category … Top competitor …

Weaknesses: Nitpicking a bit as Wallace is well rounded but still has some areas he can work on as he progresses levels … Respectable 3PT shooter but still has room to improve consistency. Shot 35.2% 3PT% on 4.2 3PT attempts per game over the Nike EYBL and 36.4% 3PT% on 3.7 attempts per game at the NBPA Top 100 in 2021 … Can work on limiting turnovers when operating in traffic. Averaged 3 turnovers per game at the NBPA Top 100 in 2021 … Good athlete but isn’t the most explosive prospect. A notch below some of the other guards in his draft range, Scoot Henderson, Thompson twins …

Outlook: Incoming Kentucky freshman … 2022 McDonald’s All-American … Scored 15 points and recorded 3 steals in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic … Scored 13 points and passed out 6 assists in the 2022 Iverson Classic …

Evan Tomes 7/13/22