Wallace already projecting top 7 in NBA draft

westerncat

Heisman
Feb 19, 2012
15,923
20,891
0
I will wait and see as Wallace or Livingston has not played a game in college yet. I hope they are as good as some think they are. I just have to be shown to believe on players.
 

BallerBegok

Sophomore
Jul 30, 2022
86
186
0
If Fredrick can stay healthy, that’s the starting 5 I want, too. His shooting & heady play takes this team to another level, IMO. He has to be respected as soon as he crosses the half-court line & will provide a ton of spacing by himself. I think he needs all the floor time he can handle & that will be tough to find with Wheeler at PG, bc Wallace needs big minutes, as well. I just don’t know how realistic it is to count on a healthy season from Fredrick. That is this year’s X-factor, IMO.

I also agree with your other post & think Wheeler would be great as a spark plug off the bench. He has nice assist numbers, but, is a liability in a few areas & they outweigh the good things he does, IMO. The most obvious flaw is his poor perimeter shooting, but, he’s also a mismatch defensively, in most cases. He can’t go right & he plays out of control far too often, driving aimlessly into the paint & either throwing up a bad shot or turning the ball over.

Wallace is a better option in almost every way. And, by giving CW PG duties you can get Fredrick AND Reeves on the court, together. Defenses will let Wheeler shoot all day & sag off him, cheating into the post, mucking it up & making everything harder on Oscar, Toppin & our wings taking the ball to the basket. It’s just tough to win in today’s game without solid perimeter shooting & if we play Wheeler, Toppin & Oscar together for long stretches we’re gonna be hurting for spacing.

Wallace has not played a single second for UK and people are already saying he has to have the ball in his hands. Just laughable craziness.
 
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DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
8,095
12,585
113
FYI- Murray was ranked #10 in the 247 composite rankings after he reclassed in 2015. Wallace is ranked #8 in the 247 composite rankings for his class.
Maybe, pretty sure he was ranked really high on rivals. Since that’s the site we are on, that’s what site I shall use. Lol
 

Sparkaces

All-American
Sep 19, 2012
6,157
6,289
0
Maybe, pretty sure he was ranked really high on rivals. Since that’s the site we are on, that’s what site I shall use. Lol
It was Simmons and Murray, I don’t care what any rankings were, also several
Didn’t even rank Murray when he reclassified.
 
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CalipariCapo

All-Conference
Feb 25, 2018
1,609
2,824
0
Hilarious to see so many ready to bench Wheeler, when either Coleman or Antigua (can’t remember which) said he might be the best PG in the nation.
Wheeler will play a vital role if we are to be our best version and hopefully achieve the goal of winning a national championship. However, IMO, our best 5 by the end of the year will be the 5 I mentioned. Just because Wheeler isn’t in that 5 doesn’t mean I’m not rooting like hell for him to be an all star at his role and be a catalyst that drives us to a national title. Now, all of this is subject to change if Wheeler has dramatically improved his jump shot. Specifically from
3. I know he actually shot a decent percentage from three last year, but there is a hitch in his shot and the confidence isn’t there that his shot will stay consistent enough to provide the spacing needed to run an efficient offense long term.
 

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
8,095
12,585
113
It was Simmons and Murray, I don’t care what any rankings were, also several
Didn’t even rank Murray when he reclassified.
And he was like top 3. I specifically remember this. His ranking didn’t get added to our recruiting class and everybody was bitching about that, shocker lol.


Regardless, Wallace is a stud. I’ve been excited about him for a minute. He’s gonna be a good one. I hope he’s top 5 pick good.
 
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cats#1again

All-Conference
Nov 27, 2011
8,011
4,587
0
If Fredrick can stay healthy, that’s the starting 5 I want, too. His shooting & heady play takes this team to another level, IMO. He has to be respected as soon as he crosses the half-court line & will provide a ton of spacing by himself. I think he needs all the floor time he can handle & that will be tough to find with Wheeler at PG, bc Wallace needs big minutes, as well. I just don’t know how realistic it is to count on a healthy season from Fredrick. That is this year’s X-factor, IMO.

I also agree with your other post & think Wheeler would be great as a spark plug off the bench. He has nice assist numbers, but, is a liability in a few areas & they outweigh the good things he does, IMO. The most obvious flaw is his poor perimeter shooting, but, he’s also a mismatch defensively, in most cases. He can’t go right & he plays out of control far too often, driving aimlessly into the paint & either throwing up a bad shot or turning the ball over.

Wallace is a better option in almost every way. And, by giving CW PG duties you can get Fredrick AND Reeves on the court, together. Defenses will let Wheeler shoot all day & sag off him, cheating into the post, mucking it up & making everything harder on Oscar, Toppin & our wings taking the ball to the basket. It’s just tough to win in today’s game without solid perimeter shooting & if we play Wheeler, Toppin & Oscar together for long stretches we’re gonna be hurting for spacing.
Ridiculous. Way too harsh on wheeler.. what are the liabilities that outweigh avg 7 assists a game?!? Shooting 31% from 3? That's not anywhere near as bad as most make it seem.
Finished 2nd team sec twice now if I'm not mistaken. Every top coach in America was wanting the kid from the portal last season, Bill Self admitted how good he was on national TV during our game... But this fan says he doesn't positively benefit the team smh
 

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,372
72,277
113
I like the idea of Wheeler as our energy sparkplug off the bench. He, Collins, and Livingston could come off the bench and give us a nice 8 man rotation.
Cal won't do it. Just like Brooks over Toppin and Hopkins last year, Cal's loyalty to certain players is just a head shaker. Wheeler would have to be Quade Greene/Kahlil Whitney bad for Cal to go to Livingston.
 
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kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,372
72,277
113
Agree. The "title or the season sucked" people are miserable and clearly don't go to parties or tailgates on a regular basis. Too many good times to count!
Maybe stop worrying about what others have to say and post your own opinions???
Maybe stop attacking everyone that doesn't share your same exact opinions???
Maybe stop trying to he a hall monitor for this screen name? I mean, you're on your 30th screen name, how about trying something different this time???
 

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,372
72,277
113
Hilarious to see so many ready to bench Wheeler, when either Coleman or Antigua (can’t remember which) said he might be the best PG in the nation.
He's the best pg in the country… .in an up and down game and so far, every practice clip shows the team running up and down the court, like they're playing uNC every game.
But in a half court possession game, Wheeler is not the best pg and might be one of the worst in the SEC.
 
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BBallin23

All-American
Sep 1, 2009
16,349
7,932
67
Cal won't do it. Just like Brooks over Toppin and Hopkins last year, Cal's loyalty to certain players is just a head shaker. Wheeler would have to be Quade Greene/Kahlil Whitney bad for Cal to go to Livingston.
Has nothing to do with loyalty. Wheeler is really good. He should be the best PG in the nation this year. Stop hating on guys that are actually good.
 

dckala2_rivals16641

All-Conference
Aug 3, 2006
18,541
4,026
0
Most books have Kentucky with the fourth best odds at +1200. Knock on wood, could see this team with only 5 losses so those odds probably won’t get any longer.
 

WallMash

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2009
4,573
2,905
103
Can tell you the buzz I got from friend who saw practice regarding Wallace. They are a damn good team no matter what but sometime this year the keys will have to be given to Cason Wallace as the PG and Wheeler to take a lesser role for them to reach their top level. We'll see how things turn out but Wallace jumped out in so many ways and just provides things Wheeler doesn't. Anxious to see how it plays out this year.
This. Truth is truth and we saw what Wheeler can give you in the NCAA tourney, an early plane ride home.
 

Padsfs07

All-Conference
Jan 19, 2013
3,954
3,811
108
Couple of misnomers regarding Murray here. He blew up his Jr/Sr year of high school. Prior to the Nike Hoops Summit:

Rivals.com rated him the No. 15 player in the class of 2016
Murray is currently the No. 11 shooting guard in the Class of 2016, according to 247Sports.com.


Murray, who also reclassified from the 2016 recruiting class to 2015 and will play for the Cats next season, saw his stock soar after a 30-point performance for the World Select Team against the United States in the Nike Hoop Summit in April.

After Hoops Summit:
The Ontario, Canada, native is the seventh-ranked shooting guard in the country and 30th-best player in the class of 2015, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's ranked the No. 10 prospect in 2015 by 247Sports.com.
Murray was ranked #9 on rivals in the final 2015 rankings.


Also our class was #2 with Murray included, by at least one publication:
Despite adding Murray to the fold, Kentucky remains at No. 2 in the 2015 class rankings, one spot behind Duke.

Murray was obviously under-ranked though. I'd love for Wallace to be as good as Murray.
 

Ron Mehico

Heisman
Jan 4, 2008
15,473
33,054
0
My apologies if I’m reading it wrong, but I dont think @ralphdaltonfan post was meant to say Wheeler isn’t looking that great, but that Wallace is just looking that good. And if that’s the case we should be pretty damn good.
 
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kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,372
72,277
113
Has nothing to do with loyalty. Wheeler is really good. He should be the best PG in the nation this year. Stop hating on guys that are actually good.
You know, I really don't give a **** about your opinion. I'm about getting sick of getting attacked by you Cal suckers, because my opinion is unlike yours.

I'm a fan of Wheeler, I love the kid's game and he might be the best pg in the country, but only in an up and down type game. In games where the opponent forces a half court style game, Wheeler struggles.

Go ahead and deny that if you want, I really don't care and if the truth hurts you that much, get off Rupp Rafters, it's just that simple.
 
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kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,372
72,277
113
Most books have Kentucky with the fourth best odds at +1200. Knock on wood, could see this team with only 5 losses so those odds probably won’t get any longer.
Meh, IIRC, they had our 20/21 team at similar odds.
Those odds aren't worth the paper they're written on at this point.
 

svoils

Sophomore
Feb 25, 2010
326
190
0
Ridiculous. Way too harsh on wheeler.. what are the liabilities that outweigh avg 7 assists a game?!? Shooting 31% from 3? That's not anywhere near as bad as most make it seem.
Finished 2nd team sec twice now if I'm not mistaken. Every top coach in America was wanting the kid from the portal last season, Bill Self admitted how good he was on national TV during our game... But this fan says he doesn't positively benefit the team smh
Assists don't tell the whole story for him IMO...too many turnovers (barely 2:1 A/T ratio last year), and his lack of shooting disrupts the entire offensive flow; defenses completely sagged inside the foul line on him all year. Now if his shot has improved...??
 
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RalphDaltonFan

Heisman
Apr 3, 2002
60,295
41,792
113
My apologies if I’m reading it wrong, but I dont think @ralphdaltonfan post was meant to say Wheeler isn’t looking that great, but that Wallace is just looking that good. And if that’s the case we should be pretty damn good.
What I was saying is what I was told. The guy who knows basketball and has worked in it for a lifetime went and watched practice. He said it's going to be best for the team when it matters for Wallace to have the ball in his hands and play the PG spot and Wheeler to have a lesser role.

I've not seen a thing. Just sharing what was told to me by someone who has seen the team/specifically Wallace practice. Someone wanted a note-here you go. Wheeler's not a horrible player by any means, but sounds like Wallace has impressed.
 

STL_Cat

Heisman
Dec 4, 2011
65,282
58,567
98
I see Wallace as a slightly better Tyty which is still going to be really really good
And he's built like a brick *********, and Tyty was really soft. I'm not talking about his attitude or the intangible type of soft. I'm talking about his body. I liked how Tyty played, good pace, good decisions, good shooter before the injuries. But he wasn't very strong and his body was just soft. Wallace is coming in built like a man. Tyty was built like a WNBA player.
 
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WallMash

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2009
4,573
2,905
103
Couple of misnomers regarding Murray here. He blew up his Jr/Sr year of high school. Prior to the Nike Hoops Summit:

Rivals.com rated him the No. 15 player in the class of 2016
Murray is currently the No. 11 shooting guard in the Class of 2016, according to 247Sports.com.


Murray, who also reclassified from the 2016 recruiting class to 2015 and will play for the Cats next season, saw his stock soar after a 30-point performance for the World Select Team against the United States in the Nike Hoop Summit in April.

After Hoops Summit:
The Ontario, Canada, native is the seventh-ranked shooting guard in the country and 30th-best player in the class of 2015, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's ranked the No. 10 prospect in 2015 by 247Sports.com.
Murray was ranked #9 on rivals in the final 2015 rankings.


Also our class was #2 with Murray included, by at least one publication:
Despite adding Murray to the fold, Kentucky remains at No. 2 in the 2015 class rankings, one spot behind Duke.

Murray was obviously under-ranked though. I'd love for Wallace to be as good as Murray.
This brings back me watching how electric Murray was for the world team at Nike Hoops, before the game it was "Murray who" then Cal totally was blown away after that one game, as me and everyone watching were. Dude totally tore up the USA team single-handedly. Cal said I gotta jump on this.
 
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JHannibalSmith

All-American
Sep 28, 2006
2,525
7,711
98
Wallace has not played a single second for UK and people are already saying he has to have the ball in his hands. Just laughable craziness.
Wallace has not played a single second for UK and people are already saying he has to have the ball in his hands. Just laughable craziness.
Let me know when Wheeler is projected top 10 on draft boards. I’ve seen enough of Wallace to know his skills will translate to this level & he will be a better player than Wheeler all season.
 

trueblujr

Heisman
Dec 14, 2005
30,649
96,961
113
Wallace is rated by every recruiting expert and NBA scout as on par with guys like DeAaron Fox or Brandon Knight or Jamal Murray in terms of rank out of high school and projected draft position. But there seems to be a little bit of a lack of buzz about him among Kentucky fans. I think he’ll change that once the season starts.

I guess people just feel a little skeptical after some recent program disappointments. But everything I've seen suggests Cason is the real deal, and while his game isn't exactly like those guys I mentioned, his impact should be.
I think the lack of buzz probably stems from the heat Cal has received the past few seasons. It's been a distraction and caused a lot of skeptics. More people taking a wait and see approach to these guys.
 
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STL_Cat

Heisman
Dec 4, 2011
65,282
58,567
98
I think the lack of buzz probably stems from the heat Cal has received the past few seasons. It's been a distraction and caused a lot of skeptics. More people taking a wait and see approach to these guys.
Yep. I'm optimistic on Wallace but just want to wait to see him compete against other college players until I blow him up as the next big thing. If he turns out to be -- GREAT. But nothing is for certain with these guys. I love his build though. Tired of skinny 19 year olds out there that can't bench 185 getting pushed around.
 

Kybluedude

Heisman
Nov 19, 2005
9,398
12,075
0
Just have to let the cake bake. It will work itself out in time. They all will accept their roles. Can’t wait to see them get started.

Practice is one thing games are another. I don’t think anyone can project our best lineups without giving them time to work together. Sometimes the best lineups aren’t always the best 5 players on the floor at one time. A lot of these freshmen can’t share very well and the d needs work. Spacing is an issue. Used to standing and performing with the ball.

For example. I think CJ is a skilled passer. Used to playing with a big post player and will be able to get the ball to Oscar, Toppin and Collins because of experience. Knows how to move and space the floor. Experienced determined and a winners makeup. Team first guy.
 
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Tubbyfan78

All-American
Feb 9, 2021
2,845
5,407
0
I see Wallace as a slightly better Tyty which is still going to be really really good
I think they’re totally different players but I think he is and needs to be significantly better than TYty. Tyty is a talented player but soft as charmin super soft.
 
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JHannibalSmith

All-American
Sep 28, 2006
2,525
7,711
98
Ridiculous. Way too harsh on wheeler.. what are the liabilities that outweigh avg 7 assists a game?!? Shooting 31% from 3? That's not anywhere near as bad as most make it seem.
Finished 2nd team sec twice now if I'm not mistaken. Every top coach in America was wanting the kid from the portal last season, Bill Self admitted how good he was on national TV during our game... But this fan says he doesn't positively benefit the team smh
What I said was that we would be a better team with Wallace, Fredrick & Reeves on the floor together. I explained my stance on Wheeler. He’s 5-8, for starters, & a liability on defense. He can’t shoot, so, teams can lay off him & clog the paint, which makes EVERYTHING else harder than it has to be. He can’t go right & tries to do too much, too often, & has a tendency to play out of control, which has led to several bad shots & turnovers. What is incorrect about those points? I said he does some good things, but, IMO, we will be a better team with Wallace at PG, bc he’s a better player & we can play Fredrick & Reeves together, assuming Fredrick is healthy.

I don’t think we can win a championship with Wheeler as the primary PG, unless we have at least 3 shooters around him. And championships are the goal, here. Doesn’t mean I think he’s a horrible player. His flaws won’t hurt us against most teams. But, against good teams, with good PGs, we’ll be in trouble, IMO. The only proof we have is a first round loss to St Freaking Peter’s. What exactly about Wheeler’s game makes you think differently? Do you not see an issue playing him, Toppin & Oscar together for 30 mpg? If not, Idk what to tell you. Spacing is a must if you want to win a championship & we don’t have it with those 3 playing together. At least counter my points & tell me why I’m wrong. Not just that Bill Self wanted him. Maybe Self has some shooters to play with him.
 

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,372
72,277
113
What I was saying is what I was told. The guy who knows basketball and has worked in it for a lifetime went and watched practice. He said it's going to be best for the team when it matters for Wallace to have the ball in his hands and play the PG spot and Wheeler to have a lesser role.

I've not seen a thing. Just sharing what was told to me by someone who has seen the team/specifically Wallace practice. Someone wanted a note-here you go. Wheeler's not a horrible player by any means, but sounds like Wallace has impressed.
And he's built like a brick *********, and Tyty was really soft. I'm not talking about his attitude or the intangible type of soft. I'm talking about his body. I liked how Tyty played, good pace, good decisions, good shooter before the injuries. But he wasn't very strong and his body was just soft. Wallace is coming in built like a man. Tyty was built like a WNBA player.
Oh boy, don't let @RondoBaller21 and @BallerBegok read these, they don't take reality very well.
 

bucsrule8872

Heisman
May 30, 2005
24,397
29,352
0
We haven’t seen a single game yet. That is going to change next week. Right now, if I’m the coach, I’m trying:

PG Wallace
SG Fredrick
SF Livingston
PF Toppin
C Tshiebwe

I like having Wallace at PG, with his size and defensive skills. I like Fredrick for his shooting. Livingston at the 3 for his athleticism and defense. Toppin for defense. Tshiebwe goes without saying. Bring Wheeler, Reeves, and Collins off the bench. Wheeler would give us energy off the bench. Reeves gives us a scoring boost off the bench. Collins gives us a rim protector off the bench.

Now I expect Cal to go with this:

PG Wheeler
SG Wallace
SF Livingston
PF Toppin
C Tshiebwe

Wheeler is starting and playing 30+ minutes every game. He’s a Senior and a good leader on the floor despite his liabilities. Wallace is special and will have to be on the floor as well. Livingston has the elite athleticism that Cal covets. Toppin is a Senior and excels on the defensive end and Cal seems to be comfortable with his improving offense. And I don’t have to explain why Tshiebwe is starting. That’s the team I think Cal wants to see. He wants defense and rebounding. He wants to push tempo when he can. That is the team that gives you that. Fredrick and Reeves provide an offensive boost off the bench. Collins splits time with Toppin at the 4.
 

Yardeth

Heisman
Jan 2, 2007
13,512
17,813
67
We know what we'll have in Wheeler, Fredrick, Reeves, Oscar, and Wallace.

The season will likely come down to what we get out of Livingston and Toppin.
Just like when the season came down to Brooks last year, he just couldn’t carry the team to victory.
 
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