RALEIGH, N.C. — John Wall, one of the nation’s most sought-after high school recruits, has decided to play for John Calipari and Kentucky.
The point guard from Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh had been pursued by numerous schools including Duke, Kansas and Miami. But he has committed to play join Calipari and the Wildcats, according to several media reports.
In an interview with Scout.com on Tuesday morning, Wall said his relationship with Calipari put the Wildcats over the top. He’s part of a UK class that the recruiting site ranks as the nation’s best.
Word of God is planning a news conference for Wall to formally announce his decision Wednesday.
Wall was named The Associated Press men’s player of the year for North Carolina in March.
Even before Wall made his decision, Calipari’s first recruiting class at Kentucky included point guard Eric Bledsoe, forward DeMarcus Cousins and center Daniel Orton.
All-Southeastern Conference center Patrick Patterson also decided to withdraw his name from consideration for the NBA draft and return to the Wildcats. Guard Jodie Meeks, the team’s leading scorer last year, hasn’t yet announced whether he will stay at Kentucky or remain in the draft.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 71
RoadTrip writes:
Big surprise. Yawn. Gone to the NBA inside 2 years.
b_neas writes:
Good for KY....now that they have the talent to win it all they will have to deal with all the other problems associated with the one and done guys......kinda sad to see KY is willing to sell its old basketball reputation simply for the sake of winning. I wonder if Meeks comes back how will all stay happy since there will not be enough shots to go around? With the egos on that team winning will not keep all happy.
Orange4life writes:
hope he can shoot freethrows on his own, lol we all know Calimari doesn't teach that
Go Vols
hotrodvol writes:
One and done. But dang Ky is going to be loaded next season. Calipari can recruit you got to give him that, oh but wait, he had a great team two seasons ago when Pearl took the Vols to Memphis. Pearl loves playing against the better team. Go Vols!
b_neas writes:
What happened to the promise of Bledsoe getting to start if he came to KY? Poor kid, now he will sit the bench behind Wall. Yet another kid gets hoodooed by Cal, Beldsoe can call up the Kemp kid from Memphis, he can relate.
ETNTigerFan writes:
That's just the sad reality. The NCAA makes the rules and you can mold your program to suit. You have to get the best players to have the best program. Too much money on the line not to. UK will be great next year. Unbelievable class.
golfballs03 writes:
BOO!
b_neas writes:
Agree 100%...and Cal is #1 in america in knowing the rules and stretching them as far as he can!
byobbio writes:
DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG DANG
I wanted that!
BYOBBIO
golfballs03 writes:
I hope we pound Calipari. I can see total dysfunction on that team - but maybe that's just wishful thining.
byobbio writes:
I guess it's good that AL and KY are on top in football and basketball respectively. That was the way it was when i was in school and we had the classic rivalries. It was more fun back then. I am not writing off TN football or basketball, but those games will be special again.
BYOBBIO
Colliervol writes:
Exactly. But it's a sad commentary on what NCAA basketball has become. Personally, I don't see why they just don't eliminate the sham of the "one and dones". None of these kids are interested in going to school and really only have to go to class for one semester (and take 12 hours of Underwater BB Stacking) just to play that one year. It's a farce.
Give Cal credit though. He's figured out a way to mine this deal for all it's worth. Nobody ever said he couldn't recruit and, at KY, he has even more to sell. But now he has to coach them and give all these stars playing time (especially if Meeks comes back). That's when it gets interesting. Nice problem to have but it can also backfire on you too.
b_neas writes:
Funny Pearl held his own and won against Cal when he had just as good of talent at Memphis. Why is there a difference now?
Bloodrunzorange writes:
I heard this guy has not made the grades....oh well. Bruce owns Cal. Go Vols!
byobbio writes:
Yeah, that's right, didn't he just get busted for breaking and entering? Or something like that? He may not play a minute at KY. I would love it if he took all the money that KY is paying him (they are, trust me) and skipped off to Europe anyway. Don't think they can sue, can they???
ETNTigerFan writes:
Memphis had great recruiting classes with Cal but NOTHING like this.
golfballs03 writes:
What? Are you some sort of masochist when it comes to sports? Did you think it was fun losing to Alabama 41-17 two years ago? You like Alabama being on top? Who are you? What about Tennessee being on top? I think it would be a lot more fun to see us win every game, than lose just for the sake of "rivalries"
gwbask writes:
No surprizes here. We will only have one year to concern ourselves with him. Then he'll go pro.
b_neas writes:
Really?? This KY team (that no one has seen play together yet) has MORE talent that
Derrick Rose
Joey Dorsey
Chris Douglas Roberts
Andre Allen
Antonio Anderson
Robert Dozier
I think you are delusional if you think the KY 5 are better than these guys
golfballs03 writes:
That is the truth!
Colliervol writes:
No rationalizing to it. They are going to be good but it doesn't mean we have to agree with the process. It remains to be seen what price KY has paid to be in the position they are in. Calipari is in a class by himself when it comes to stretching the rules and rationalizing his decisions. Unless you were in Memphis for his entire tenure and witnessed it, you don't have a clue.
As far as UK goes, maybe he put them in front of the pack for this one season. After 2009, he'll have to replace Patterson, Meeks, Wall and Cousins. Might look great for one year but, in his way of doing things, Cal has to keep bringing in those one year wonders EVERY YEAR. Starting to look like pro franchises the way players move in and out of the programs.
And, yes, I realize that this is the way the NCAA and NBA has set it up but it doesn't mean that, as a fan, I have to condone it. And I also realize most fans could care less who or what is donning the uniform as long as the wins come. And that's what is really sad.
ETNTigerFan writes:
Not really. More so UK fans. I'm sure they'd love to say that he came there enamored with the prospect of playing for the big blue.
Lot's of kids came to Memphis b/c they wanted to play for Cal. He puts kids in the NBA. People can say that the kids he gets would already be going to the NBA but for every Derrick Rose there is a Rodney Carney. The guy can coach up talent.
ETNTigerFan writes:
No, I meant recruiting classes.
thebadsamaritan writes:
"They" being the NBA. It's their rule, not the NCAA.
What Coach Cal is about to find out is that it is much tougher to get academically-borderline players in at UK than it was at Memphis.
That's how we ended up with Donneal Mack at Memphis - he originally signed with Florida, but couldn't qualify.
So far - Bledsoe, Cousins and Wall haven't qualified. Every high school senior that I know has already taken the ACT or SAT.
Maybe that is part of the plan? Sign Bledsoe and Wall in the hope that at least one will qualify.
signed,
BadSam
(a scorned and bitter UofMemphis alum, booster and season-ticket holder)
thebadsamaritan writes:
Great point.
Question - how many past UofM players are currently in the NBA?
How many past UT players?
Not necessarily a slam against UT, more of an emphasis on Coach Cal's abilities that many on this board like to underestimate.
ZALWEED writes:
Well said! Might not like the guy, might not like having one-and-done players, but how many of the fans on these posts would 'complain' about having Wall, Bledsoe, Cousins, etc.....
ETNTigerFan writes:
Of Cal's players:
Earl Barron
Shawn Williams
Rodney Carney
Derrick Rose
Joey Dorsey
CDR
Tyreke Evans (soon)
Antonio Anderson (soon hopefully)
Robert Dozier (soon hopefully)
Dejuan Wagner (career over due to injury)
Antonio Burks and Darius Washington played 1 year each.
Not too shabby.
RoadTrip writes:
Exactly. Dribble drive, is dribble drive. Pearl can handle it.
ZALWEED writes:
Stretching the rules and breaking them are 2 different things.
Colliervol writes:
Good points badsam. Despite some that think Calipari is the greatest coach since Wooden, I believe he's going to find things a lot different than things were in the A-10 and CUSA. He's not going to be able to bend the will of the conference and control things like he did with CUSA and R.C. Johnson. And, despite the SEC being a bit down last year, the competition will be much tougher in the next few years. It generally runs in cycles and the SEC has been plenty tough before.
As far as the rules go, yes, it's an NBA Rule but the NCAA isn't doing much about the farce either. If they wanted to do something, they could make a scholarship a two year binding contract whereby, if a player left, he has to reimburse the school for the cost of the scholarship. Having said that though, it would work both ways. A coach couldn't run a player off after just one year as they are prone to do now if the kid doesn't pan out or they find a better player. Just a thought.
thevoice writes:
Meeks will be gone in a few weeks. Too much backcourt competition (playing time, points, publicity) with newcomers (Wall, etc.) to elevate his current NBA status.
Colliervol writes:
Only to those that are prone to stretching the rules and those that condone it. Like I said, some don't mind worshiping at the altar. Doesn't mean I have to.
b_neas writes:
The players Cal has in the NBA has nothing to do with him developing them. It has to do with him getting the best recruits, most of the recruits he gets can go straight from HS to the NBA. How much development did Derrick Rose need?? Zero!!
thebadsamaritan writes:
For every Derrick Rose (point) there is a Rodney Carney (counter-point).
Others:
Antonio Burks
Darius Washington
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Shawne Williams
Even Joey Dorsey needed Cal to groom him for the NBA.
thebadsamaritan writes:
2-2
b_neas writes:
By grooming you mean punching players in the face and acting like Dennis Rodman?
golfballs03 writes:
I'd say that's pretty good considering all the superior talent Calipari has supposedly had over there.
ETNTigerFan writes:
+Earl Barron
People need to get over it. Cal can coach and develop
b_neas writes:
If he can coach so well why do his "best recruiting classes" fail to win NC's?
ETNTigerFan writes:
???
ETNTigerFan writes:
They aren't the only good recruiting classes. See UNC, Kansas, Florida, Arizona, UCLA, etc. it does put him in a pretty good position to win them though.
b_neas writes:
Dorsey acted like an idiot on and off the floor all the time. He punched a UT player in the face, ala Dennis Rodman
ETNTigerFan writes:
Who?
b_neas writes:
JOEY DORSEY......The guy you said he even had to groom......geesh you have like a 2 second memory
back2backchamps writes:
Col,
I agree with you to a point, but for 99% of the fans, it all comes down to wins and losses. I heard guys on hear a year ago bashing Urban Meyer for just being a "hired gun" for FL with no loyalty to the University. Now those exact same fingers are praising Lane Kiffen and what he has brought to UT. I hate the entire 1 and done thing in college bball, but if its the way the rules are set up, then you play by the rules to win.
TigerVet writes:
I guarantee our ex coach tells meeks to stay in the draft,that way he wont have to worry about getting meeks,bledsoe,and walls considerable playing time.Bledsoe may be the odd man out tho,because if meeks DOES come back,bledsoe wont get maybe 8-10 minutes a game(big mistake signing on his part).
And also I want to see which players are gonna have to give up their schollies to make room for all the recruits,because they have 17 players and only 13 schollies. Its a shame some of those players that committed to Kentucky because they WANTED to play there and not use uk as a stepping stone to the NBA, are going to have to lose a year of eligibility because they are going to be "kicked" of uk's team.
And for those that dont think those guys are going to qualify......they know they dont have anything to worry about,because our ex coach is gonna make sure they "get" qualified! trust me!
ETNTigerFan writes:
Who did he punch genius? Sorry, i didn't realize I had to spell it all the way out for you.
thebadsamaritan writes:
...Rodman kicks photographers in the groin.
Dorsey has never punched a player in the face...but he's been in a bar fracas or two...alledgedly.
Do you really want to start comparing the conduct of Memphis players vs. the conduct of UT players?
Can we extend the debate to include football also?
ETNTigerFan writes:
I seriously doubt UT fans want to do that
b_neas writes:
Football is not what we are talking about here morons. It is basketball and basketball coaches. Fulmer obviously never had control, CBP is the opposite, if they act up he kicks them off the team. My bad it was not a punch on the court, he just acted a fool when the team lost at UT while walking to the tunnel. The kid had issues.
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