Cason Wallace Receives NBA All-Rookie Recognition
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Cason Wallace, a star for Kentucky during the 2022-23 season, has been named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, it was announced on Monday.
Wallace, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, put together a solid rookie campaign, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder finish with the best regular-season record in the Western Conference at 57-25.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists while appearing in all 82 regular-season games for the Thunder, including 13 starts. Wallace shot 49.1% from the floor and 41.9% from 3-point range while also managing 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. He was one of just two rookies to play in all 82 games this season alongside teammate Chet Holmgren.
Wallace also saw action in all 10 of the Thunder’s playoff contests, as the team swept past the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round before being knocked out by the Dallas Mavericks in a closely contested second round series which lasted six games.
At Kentucky, Wallace was an All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team selection averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game in 32 appearances. He ranked among the league leaders in assists per game (2nd), assist-to-turnover-ratio (4th) and steals per game (4th), while his 63 steals on the season were the third most by a UK freshman in program history. In the Champions Classic against Michigan State, Wallace recorded eight steals, tying him for the most in a single game in Kentucky history.
Kentucky men’s basketball alumni continue to make a major impact on the NBA scene. UK led the country for the 12th straight season with 26 former student-athletes on NBA opening day rosters in 2023-24, while also pacing the nation with 22 representatives in the NBA Playoffs. At the 2024 NBA All-Star game, the Wildcats made history with a record-breaking seven players earning All-Star nods.
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