Tag: Cason Wallace

2023 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: An early look at the top prospects next year

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor over the course of the 2022-23 season.

With the basketball world over a month removed from the NBA draft, many have started to look ahead to the next rookie class and which prospects may be available.

The class is headlined by French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who is considered one of the top prospects in recent memory. He has performed well in the top basketball league in France and looks to already be locked in as the top pick in 2023.

Elsewhere, there are several other prospects that will be worth monitoring over the course of next season. The rankings will certainly change but it can be a productive exercise to see how prospects moved up and down draft boards ahead of next year.

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor as the 2022-23 season approaches in a couple of months.

Note: The order of the draft was determined by the reverse championship odds set by Tipico Sportsbook. The 2023 draft will only have 59 picks after the Bulls were stripped of their second-round pick by the NBA due to a tampering violation involving the signing of Lonzo Ball.

Arkansas Basketball leads SEC in five-star signees

According to 247sports, eight five-star recruits from the 2022 cycle have signed with SEC programs. Who are they, and where are they going?

The Southeastern Conference has become a hotbed for top talent across the nation. That does not change for the 2022 recruiting cycle, as the conference leads all other conferences in five-star signees.

There are 29 five-star recruits for the class of 2022 according to 247sports, eight of those talented athletes have elected to sign with members of the SEC. Perennial power Kentucky has signed a couple, and risers Alabama and Auburn have signed their share of top talent as well. But, there is one program that outshines the rest of the conference in recruiting for the year.

With the signing of [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] on Wednesday, Arkansas now takes the top spot in the SEC with three five-star signees to join their programs for next year.

Black joins [autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] as five-star rated athletes by 247sports for the Class of 2022. Black announced his commitment on March 28 during the Powerade Slamfest during McDonald’s All-American week in Chicago, Ill. 

The eight five-star athletes are split among four programs: Arkansas (3), Kentucky (2), Alabama (2), and Auburn (1). Here is a look at the eight five-stars that have signed with SEC schools:

Notre Dame commit J.J. Starling makes U.S. team for Nike Hoop Summit

A big month is coming up for a future Notre Dame player.

J.J. Starling, the most anticipated Notre Dame commit in years, is going to be very busy over the next month. In the last week of March, he will take part in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Chicago. A week-and-a-half later, he will get the opportunity to represent the U.S. in competition for the first time. That’s because he has been selected to play for his country in the Nike Hoop Summit, an annual game between the best U.S. players and the best international players ages 19 or younger.

Starling, who attends La Lumiere in La Porte and participated in a 2019 U.S. junior national minicamp, will be part of the first Nike Hoop Summit since 2019. COVID-19 has forced the event’s cancelation over the past two years. The international roster for the game, which is taking place in Portland, Oregon, will be announced later.

Starling is believed to be taking the roster spot of Cason Wallace, who signed a letter of intent with Kentucky in November.

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Texas Basketball: Horns among top four schools for five-star guard Cason Wallace

Texas makes five-star guard Cason Wallace’s final four schools.

First-year head coach Chris Beard and the Texas basketball program are in the mix for one of the top players in the nation from the 2022 recruiting class.

Five-star guard Cason Wallace, a product of Richardson, Texas, announced his final four schools via Twitter on Wednesday. Texas made the cut alongside Tennessee, UTSA and Kentucky.

Wallace is ranked the No. 12 overall player in the nation for the 2022 cycle according to 247Sports. He is viewed as the No. 2 combo guard in the country and the best overall player in the state of Texas.

Here is what 247Sports’ scout Brandon Jenkins had to say about Wallace’s skillset:

One of the best defensive playmakers in the class, Wallace is more than capable of locking opponents up as he controls each game with his length and activity. He has an alpha male mentality, is a deflection magnet, and is one of the best transitional shot blockers in the country from the guard position. Offensively, he is a bit mechanical but still very productive nonetheless. He is a comfortable pull up jump shooter who is capable of putting points on the board from all three levels. He also can play on or off the ball and is similarly versatile in terms of his ability to play off a ball-screen or be an effective spot-up player on the weak-side of the floor. Wallace has the long-term upside to fill a role at the highest level of the sport for multiple years.

Jenkins also compared Wallace to Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday for his ability to defend. Holiday helped the Bucks win an NBA Championship this year and was a key reason Team USA won gold in Tokyo.

If Wallace, who currently has two crystal balls in favor of Kentucky, were to commit to Texas, he would join fellow five-star Arterio Morris and form one of the most lethal backcourts in the nation.

Wallace is scheduled to announce his commitment on Nov. 7.