Cason Wallace, Kentucky Trying New Ways to Fix Early Free Throw Woes
True freshman point guard Cason Wallace is having quite the first season at Kentucky through eight games.
Averaging 11.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game, the Dallas native has enthralled Big Blue Nation since he first step foot on the court at Rupp Arena.
Whether its flirting with a triple-double on opening-night against Howard or tying the single-game UK record with eight steals against Michigan State in the Champions Classic, his label as a 5-star prospect was quickly legitimized.
Kentucky has gone through some early-season bumps and bruises, but the biggest win of the 2022-23 season was earned this past Sunday, thanks in-part to a huge performance from Wallace.
With less than 70 seconds left in the Hall of Fame London Showcase against Michigan, the guard quickly caught and released a 3-pointer on the wing — which found the bottom of the net — ultimately clinching the win over the Wolverines.
"I was just confident when I shot it," Wallace told reporters on Friday. "You know, I knew my teammates needed it. But you know, it was a shot I had to take so I took that shot."
The Cats would win 73-69, with Wallace's 14-point, eight-rebound, five-assist-performance at the forefront.
Michigan fought tooth-and-nail down the stretch, but Kentucky was able to do something it had struggled with previously in the early season...close out.
"I'd say the way we closed that game was pretty different for us," Wallace said. "Something that we were focusing on for a week before the game, so going out there and executing late in the game, being gritty late in the game, and just coming out with that win."
Executing in the second half has been an issue for the Cats, most notably against MSU, when bricked free throws and defensive lapses cost UK a win on multiple occasions, as it eventually fell in double overtime.
Wallace has been a culprit in regard to the charity stripe woes, as he's currently shooting free throws at a 50 percent clip, making just six of 12 attempts. Despite coming up clutch in the win over Michigan, he still went 0-2 at the line.
As a team, Kentucky is shooting 68.3 percent from the free-throw line, just the 228th-best mark in the nation.
"I'm not used to missing this many free throws myself," Wallace said. "So it's not something that I'm gonna get used to, or I want everybody else to get used to. So just practicing on it, making sure I'm still sharp on it and next game, I plan on not missing free throws."
"Free throws have been the same ever since it was made," he added. "So I don't know what's going on right now. But I'm going to lock in and to get it right. Can't be missing that many free throws.
As a result, head coach John Calipari has introduced a new routine for trying to cash in on those free attempts.
Instead of each player taking 10 in a row and moving onto the next, they're instead taking one-and-ones, putting emphasis on quality over quantity.
Wallace explained on Friday:
"One and ones are what I've been struggling with at the line. So going up there with confidence, knowing that I do it in practice all the time, I should be able to do it in the game So we shoot three one and one's and you got to make them all six in a row, basically."
Sometimes a simple change in practice could yield positive results. The first opportunity for that to show up comes on Saturday, as the No. 16 Cats welcome Yale to Rupp for an early-afternoon showdown. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. EST.
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