UK signee Cason Wallace says pressure will not bother him

Cason Wallace just wants to be himself at Kentucky. (Photo via Twitter)

Kentucky signee Cason Wallace says his conversations with coach John Calipari recently have been more about his upcoming career at Kentucky than anything that happened at the end of UK’s season.

“(Calipari) just told me to go be a player,” Wallace said at the McDonald’s All-American Game. “I’m going to be on the court. Numbers don’t really matter, it’s just a spot that you’ve got to be in. Being able to go out there and be myself is something that I’m glad to have.”

Unlike some players, Wallace is not actively trying to persuade other players to join him at Kentucky.

“I am not a recruiter. I am a player. I am not really a good recruiter,” he admitted.

However, he is a good player and was named a McDonald’s All-American.

“It means everything to me,” he said about playing in the McDonald’s Game. “It is something I have dreamed about my whole life. My cousin made me write down goals and the first thing I wrote down was being a McDonald’s All-American. Being able to show everybody what I am capable of is a very special moment for me.”

He said Kentucky’s basketball legacy appealed to him and it had always been his dream to play for UK.

“I like to stick to my path. If I put my mind to something, I want to go and get it. So I went and got it. It was kind of a no-brainer for me. I wanted it, I went and got it, so why not just go ahead and go there?” Wallace, who also said he likes the way UK players “stick” once they get to the NBA.

He’s not worried about the pressure of Kentucky basketball overwhelming him, either.

“Pressure is everything for me. I like pressure, really. Pressure is who I am,” he said. “I have been dealing with pressure my whole life. I am good for a little challenge. Just doing what I am capable of doing and showing fans and supporters we will go far next season.”