Kentucky's Cason Wallace to Enter 2023 NBA Draft; No. 8 Prospect on B/R Big Board

Kentucky star Cason Wallace is entering the 2023 NBA draft.

"I'm all in," he said to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. "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 4.3 assists in 32 games, and he shot 44.6 percent overall and 34.6 percent on threes. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranked the 6'4" guard as the No. 8 overall player in his newest 2023 big board:

"Confidence in Wallace's NBA upside started to waver throughout the season, mostly due to single-digit scoring outputs that raised questions about his athletic limitations for creation at the NBA level. But the Kansas State game on Sunday should have served as a reminder that he possesses the type of shot-making, touch shots, footwork and finishing craft to compensate for lacking exciting burst or explosiveness."

While the Wildcats lost to Kansas State in the second round of the NCAA men's tournament. Wallace ended his season on a bit of a high note. He shot 9-of-11 from the field for 21 points and added nine rebounds in the 75-69 defeat.

His decision to forgo his remaining college eligibility isn't surprising given how highly he's already rated. Even if he slips out of the top 10 on draft night, he still figures to be a lottery selection thanks to his two-way ability.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari probably had no illusions about how brief Wallace's stay in Lexington would be. He has seen a number of one-and-dones come through the program during his tenure.

Even with Wallace gone, talent shouldn't be an issue for the Wildcats next season.

Calipari has assembled the No. 1 class in 247Sports' composite team rankings for 2023. The group includes a quartet of 5-star recruits (Justin Edwards, DJ Wagner, Aaron Bradshaw and Robert Dillingham), all of whom are among the 10 best players nationally.

Calipari's seat has gotten warmer the further Kentucky gets from its last Final Four appearance in 2015. If the team once again fails to meet expectations in 2023-24, the scrutiny on the legendary coach will be overwhelming.