Kentucky's season ended in disappointment in a hard-fought loss to Kansas State, but it's hard to blame their star freshman point guard. Wallace had 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Wallace was a perfect 7-for-7 (15 points) in the second half, coming up repeatedly with big baskets and almost always making the right play passing ahead, driving and dishing and looking under control. He was unlucky to see his teammates go 3-for-19 from 3, with at least six open 3-point looks created by Wallace that weren't converted, a major reason Kentucky lost.
Wallace's shot creation and aggressiveness left something to be desired at times this season, but he was able to get inside the paint against Kansas State in transition and out of pick and roll, hitting tough floaters and layups through contact going both left or right. He committed four turnovers in the first 10 minutes, partially a product of trying to navigate Kentucky's lack of spacing, but played a pretty clean game otherwise.
His defense, long-considered his calling card, was vividly evident on Sunday, as he came up with two pick-six steals for layups, fought over screens aggressively and had some big-time rebounds in traffic while putting his body on the line.
Wallace will be disappointed not to advance past the first round of the NCAA tournament and there are some holes that can be nitpicked in his game with his lack of scoring production and his occasional struggles with efficiency. However, Wallace had a strong freshman year that will serve him well developmentally after being forced to shoulder a huge offensive load under extreme pressure for much of the season and now looks like a strong top-10 prospect.
Wallace was a perfect 7-for-7 (15 points) in the second half, coming up repeatedly with big baskets and almost always making the right play passing ahead, driving and dishing and looking under control. He was unlucky to see his teammates go 3-for-19 from 3, with at least six open 3-point looks created by Wallace that weren't converted, a major reason Kentucky lost.
Wallace's shot creation and aggressiveness left something to be desired at times this season, but he was able to get inside the paint against Kansas State in transition and out of pick and roll, hitting tough floaters and layups through contact going both left or right. He committed four turnovers in the first 10 minutes, partially a product of trying to navigate Kentucky's lack of spacing, but played a pretty clean game otherwise.
His defense, long-considered his calling card, was vividly evident on Sunday, as he came up with two pick-six steals for layups, fought over screens aggressively and had some big-time rebounds in traffic while putting his body on the line.
Wallace will be disappointed not to advance past the first round of the NCAA tournament and there are some holes that can be nitpicked in his game with his lack of scoring production and his occasional struggles with efficiency. However, Wallace had a strong freshman year that will serve him well developmentally after being forced to shoulder a huge offensive load under extreme pressure for much of the season and now looks like a strong top-10 prospect.
