Cason Wallace is among the SEC leaders in assists, steals and assist to turnover ratio. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky has no more margin for error if it wants to make the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats certainly cannot afford to lose at Mississippi, one of the Southeastern Conference’s worst teams, tonight.
Same scenario for home games against Florida Saturday and Arkansas Feb. 7 and then a game at Georgia Feb. 11.
But can Kentucky win all four games? Maybe, maybe not.
However, if Kentucky is going to finish the season with enough sizzle to make the NCAA Tournament — and that certainly would include beating Tennessee, Auburn and Arkansas at home —it needs freshman point guard Cason Wallace to take over games.
No, he doesn’t have to score like Oscar Tshiebwe has at times or dominate inside like Tshiebwe has done in some games. No, he doesn’t have to be the prolific shotmaker that Antonio Reeves has shown he can be. No, he doesn’t have to be the athletic presence that Jacob Toppin can be at times.
Wallace just needs to be what he is — Kentucky’s best player.
Against Kansas, Wallace was 4-for-7 from the field, including 2-for-3 from 3, and 4-for-5 at the foul line to score 14 points. He also had six rebounds, five assists, five steals and one block in 37 minutes. He did have two turnovers. That’s the type of stat-stuffing game Wallace can add and he’s equally good on offense and defense.
However, Kentucky needs him to be more aggressive offensively.
Wallace ranks among the SEC leaders in steals per game (6th/2.05), assists per game (7th/3.6) and assist-to-turnover ratio (8th/2.00-to-1). He sits third on the team with 11.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and is the only Wildcat who has started all 21 games.
However, Wallace did play only eight minutes against South Carolina due to a back injury — and you might remember that the 20-point underdog Gamecocks beat UK with Wallace on the bench.
Wallace is shooting 47 percent overall from the field and 40 percent (38 of 94) from 3-point range.
“Talk about a two-way player. This guy has game,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said about Wallace during the UK-Kansas game. “He can shoot it, he is strong and he is really a smart player.”
Yes he is. Maybe too smart.
Perhaps Wallace remembers going 1-for-13 from the field against Alabama and only 2-for-13 against UCLA in those losses. However, he was a combined 23-for-45 in UK’s other five losses and Kentucky needs him looking for his shot more because he’s one of the team’s best 3-point shooters and definitely the best at going inside to finish at the rim.
Wallace is SEC Freshman of the Week for his play against Vanderbilt and Kansas but the rest of the season UK needs him to play, think and lead like the UK MVP.
5 Responses
I would like him to increase his aggressiveness on offense. Put pressure on the opposing teams offense. He can make everyone around him better
I am with you Murph
He is being asked to run the offense now, and I believe he has done that job well. However, given his shooting ability, he needs to be taking more shots and a couple of others need to be taking fewer shots.
When Wallace can’t play or needs a rest, Theiro needs to get the bulk of those minutes. He is a better defender in the pick and roll, a better rebounder, and is an opportunistic scorer that doesn’t hog the ball to get a shot. That means benching Calipari’s pet and that’s not going to happen. We play so much better on both ends when Wheeler is not on the floor.
This will be another Andrew Harrison type season where Calipari puts the interest of a pet ahead of that of his team…even if it means going to the NIT for losers.