Florida fans ejected after grabbing Cason Wallace in loose ball scramble

A mid-game collision between Kentucky Wildcats guard Cason Wallace and a trio of courtside Florida Gators fans almost turned ugly.

It’s been a difficult year for the Kentucky Wildcats. At 19-9, they’re currently unranked and will need a strong finish to secure their NCAA Tournament prospects. Every game matters at this point in the season and an eight-point road win over the Florida Gators Wednesday night was important. But it could have been a disaster.

At one point, Kentucky guard Cason Wallace careened into the first row of Florida fans chasing a loose ball. As he turned to make his way back up the court, the fans appeared to try and hold him back with one even grabbing Wallace around the neck.

All three of the fans were ejected but, honestly, this could have been a lot worse. It’s a dangerous play that could have injured Wallace. Violence is never the answer but it would certainly be understandable if Wallace responded by protecting himself physically, in a way that injured a fan, made the situation worse or drew a suspension.

Cason Wallace has been a consistent bright spot for the Kentucky Wildcats

Wallace struggled against Florida, finishing 2-of-7 from the field and with as many turnovers (6) as assists. But he’s been one of their best players all season and if Kentucky has any hope of making a deep tournament run, they’ll need Wallace on the court. The freshman is averaging 11.7 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game, shooting 35.1 percent from beyond the arc and making a difference with his consistent defense at the point of attack.

Wallace very well may turn out to be a one-and-done for the Wildcats. He’s a likely lottery pick and is currently tabbed at No. 7 on The Step Back’s latest Big Board. Even if this is his only season at Kentucky, he still has a few more weeks to build his legacy at the program and hopefully make some tournament magic.