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BY KEITH TAYLOR

Kentucky Today

Cason Wallace is going to the next level.

The Kentucky freshman guard announced his plans to enter the NBA Draft Saturday and will forgo his final two years of eligibility. Jacob Toppin entered his name into the draft Friday opting to not take his super senior season. He played three seasons at UK after transferring from Rhode Island.

Wallace played only one season but is projected to be a top 10 pick in the NBA Draft.

“I’m all in,” Wallace said in his announcement televised on ESPN. “This season was fun. It had its ups and downs but the best part was having my brothers with me. We stuck through it and saw it through.”

Wallace averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and two steals per game and served primarily as the team’s point guard. He injured his ankle toward the end of the regular season and was hampered by injuries in the postseason. He scored 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had four assists in the team’s 75-69 loss to Kansas State in the final round of the NCAA Tournament.

“When NCAA tournament time came, I wanted to give everything I had,” Wallace said. “That was my last game unfortunately, but I went down swinging. (UK) Coach (John) Calipari was always there for us; when we lost, he took the blame. He taught me that it was a privilege to play the game. Learning how to play the point guard position the whole team helped. It forced me to step up to another challenge in a new role.”

Calipari said Wallace “is a playmaking guard who is going to have the opportunity to make an immediate impact at the next level,”

“He has good size and a tremendous feel for the game, and no situation is too big for him,” Calipari said. “He’s ready to take this step and I’m thrilled for he and his family.”

The NBA Draft Combine is set for May 15-21 and the draft is June 22.