With the greatest recruiting class secured in school history for 2021 and one commitment already lined up for 2022, Rick Barnes has not stopped building for the future of Tennessee basketball. He has had the Vols trending for lots of other elite prospects in 2022 in recent weeks as well.
Now, Barnes has UT competing directly with the Kentucky Wildcats for one of them. The Vols are in the top three for combo guard Cason Wallace along with UK and the Texas Longhorns, according to an initial report from Gerry Hamilton of On3.
Standing between 6’3″ and 6’4″ while weighing in the range of 180 to 185 pounds, Wallace is a five-star on both Rivals and 247Sports and a four-star on ESPN. He is listed as a shooting guard on Rivals, a combo guard on 247Sports and a point guard on ESPN.
Wallace, who played for Richardson High School in Dallas County, Texas, this past year, will visit all three schools in the fall and announce his decision on Nov. 7, two days before Tennessee basketball faces the UT Martin Skyhawks. Make no mistake, he’d be a huge pickup for Rocky Top.
Currently, the Vols’ only commitment for 2022 is four-star local point guard B.J. Edwards. However, Barnes likes multiple players being able to run the point in his system, and Wallace would certainly be able to do that.
Since Kennedy Chandler is likely one and done and Jaden Springer is entering his senior year, it’s clear that Barnes will need more ball handlers in 2022-2023. A guy like Wallace could help with that, and he also just brings an incredible amount of talent to the team in general.
According to the Rivals Future Cast and 247Sports Crystal Ball, Kentucky is a unanimous favorite to land Wallace. However, that is only with two predictions on 247Sports, and the confidence meter is just at a medium. Meanwhile, Tennessee basketball is a favorite by a plurality on the Rivals Fan Future Cast. As a result, the Vols should have a shot with him.