Cason Wallace is a force defensively
Wallace had a strong showing at the Champions Classic, posting 14 points, eight steals, five rebounds and five assists in Kentucky's double-overtime loss. Most notable were the steals, showing outstanding physicality, awareness, intensity and instincts in one-on-one situations, jumping passing lanes, and digging down from the weakside, leading to several run-out baskets. Wallace has a knack for anticipating opponents' passes and pre-rotating to deny the ball or sneaking in for timely swipe-downs to create turnovers. He's also much stronger than at first glance, being able to absorb blows from bigger players and still contain them off the dribble on the perimeter. He's an excellent rebounder and had one awesome block rotating to protect the rim and erase a sure-fire dunk.Offensively, Wallace hit a pair of smooth-looking spot-up 3-pointers and did a nice job of probing with the ball and dishing to open teammates. He's Kentucky's most reliable post-entry passer, often tasked with feeding forward Oscar Tshiebwe in the paint and generally doing a good job of getting the ball where it needs to be in the half-court.
His limitations as a creator in the half-court were also evident, as he's not the most dynamic ball handler or explosive driver and struggles to put pressure on the rim, often being forced to settle for low-percentage floaters and pull-ups from difficult vantage points inside the arc. He ran out of gas late in the game and made some bad decisions when Kentucky desperately needed someone to step up and make a play off the dribble down the stretch. Navigating Kentucky's lack of spacing will likely be an issue all season with the number of non-shooters and non-passers coach John Calipari has assembled once again, so how Wallace evolves as a half-court creator will likely play a key role in how he's viewed as a prospect on draft night.
Wallace clearly has a high floor as a prospect with his lockdown defensive prowess, toughness, feel for the game, ability to make open shots and how he impacts winning. Scouts will try to get a better feel for his offensive ceiling as the season moves on.
Oscar Tshiebwe is still the best player in college basketball
Tshiebwe surprised no one in posting 22 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks in his return from knee surgery before fouling out, as the consensus National Player of the Year looks primed for another run at all the same awards he won last season.Tshiebwe's instincts and historic production as a rebounder are well documented and were on full display again with the way he inhaled every loose ball caroming off the rim on both ends of the floor, even missed free throws. He carved out deep post position at will, knocked down all four of his free throws and had some strong moments protecting the rim with his 7-4 wingspan.
Still, many of the same limitations we saw last year that held back his draft stock were evident again against Michigan State -- namely his struggles as a passer (five turnovers), his occasionally poor shot selection (including one baffling turnaround jumper towards the end of regulation) and especially his inability to defend in space which the Spartans fully looked to exploit whenever he was in the game. Tshiebwe's lack of mobility and awareness are major hindrances projecting to the NBA, as he struggles to navigate screens and is prone to falling asleep and losing his man off the ball, which is how Michigan State tied the game at the end of regulation on an in-bounds play.
Tshiebwe is no doubt en route to another fantastic season from a productivity standpoint, and is sure to find a team that values the incredible energy he brings, likely in the second round.
NBA draft top 100: Our first rankings after the Champions Classic
We're debuting our top-100 prospects tool, which includes detailed scouting observations on most players dating back to 2018.
