Cason Wallace Reportedly Invited to NBA Draft Green Room

The one-and-done Wildcat guard is expected to fall somewhere in the top 15 on draft night.

Former Kentucky guard Cason Wallace has reportedly been invited to the 2023 NBA draft.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Jonathan Givony released a list of 19 names that have received the invite to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, including Wallace, who declared for the draft on April 1 after his freshman season at UK. 

A 2nd batch of nine NBA Draft green room invites was sent out today, multiple sources told ESPN:

Bilal Coulibaly
Cason Wallace
Nick Smith
Dereck Lively
Kobe Bufkin
Jalen Hood-Schifino
Jett Howard
Jordan Hawkins
Keyonte George

All top-19 of ESPN's top-100 were invited thus far. https://t.co/YF5Ze2cfms pic.twitter.com/YBb8Awb12Z

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 13, 2023

In a mock draft from Givony back on May 16, Wallace is projected to go No. 12 overall in the first round to the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

"Wallace's combination of toughness, feel for the game, spot shooting, unselfishness and defensive versatility gives him a high floor as a prospect, making him a potentially attractive option for a team like the Thunder, who already have building blocks in place," Givony wrote.

In 32 games as a Wildcat, Wallace averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds. He shot 44.6 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from 3-point range. He fought through injuries, dealing with back and lower-leg issues over the course of the season while averaging 32.1 minutes a night.

Wallace had 18 games where he scored 10 or more points and nine games with more than five assists. He managed 27 points and nine assists against Florida A&M on Dec. 21, 24 points, five assists, three boards, three steals and two blocks against Arkansas on Feb. 7 and finished his career as a Wildcat with 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in the NCAA Tournament loss to Kansas State on March 19.

A new mock draft from the Los Angeles Times has Wallace going No. 9 overall to the Utah Jazz. He will likely be the only former Cat to go in the first round. Jacob Toppin, Oscar Tshiebwe and Chris Livingston are all also officially in the draft, though late second-round selections appear to be the ceiling. 

The draft will be held on June 22. The first round will begin around 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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