Where Cason Wallace projects in the NBA Draft, post-NCAA Tournament edition

Another college basketball season has come and gone. All eyes now turn to the offseason, where roster turnover is quickly becoming an everyday thing for most programs across the country. Kentucky is no different, with several players from last season’s team already announcing decisions. Antonio Reeves is testing the NBA Draft waters as of Tuesday morning, joining Jacob Toppin and Cason Wallace as other Wildcats that will do the same.

But unlike Reeves, Toppin and Wallace will keep their names in the draft and intend to sign with agents. While Toppin is going to have to work his way into the mock projections during the pre-draft process, Wallace has been there since before he even arrived in Lexington.

The 6-foot-4 point guard had a tremendous freshman season for Kentucky on both ends of the floor, averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.0 steals in 32.2 minutes per outing. Wallace shot 44.6 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from long range, and 75.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Where does that place him in the latest mock drafts? Several noteworthy outlets released updated projections shortly after Monday night’s NCAA Tournament national championship game, where Wallace is looking like a consensus top-10 pick. Spoiler: you might want to invest in a trip to Salt Lake City this fall.

SB Nation: No. 8; Washington Wizards
The Ringer: No. 9; Utah Jazz
Bleacher Report: No. 9; Utah Jazz
Sporting News: No. 10; Utah Jazz
Yahoo! Sports: No. 14; Utah Jazz
Tankathon: No. 14; Toronto Raptors

Wallace has held firm as a projected lottery pick for roughly a year now. Nothing has changed since then, as his on-court play as a college rookie more than met the expectations placed upon him. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor likens Wallace to successful NBA players Jrue Holiday and De’Anthony Melton in his latest mock.

Some of these mock drafts point to potential questions surrounding Wallace’s shot creation and the fact that he made just 23.9 percent of his looks from deep against SEC opponents, but they also point to a lack of modern spacing within Kentucky’s offense, which won’t be nearly as much of an issue once he makes the leap to the NBA.

While there is plenty of time before the Draft in June, Wallace is the only Wildcat expected to hear his name called once that time comes. Toppin will certainly have a chance to crack the second round if he impresses in interviews and workouts, but there is work to be done. Oscar Tshiebwe, who has yet to make a decision on his future at UK, is the only other Kentucky player currently in the mix. He’s not listed on any mock drafts, but both ESPN (No. 74 overall prospect) and Tankathon (No. 59) do have him on their Big Boards.

The 2023 NBA Draft is set for June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.