Roy Williams' decision to call John Wall is not only a desperate move but the epitome of the eternal "Can you top this?" contest between Duke and Carolina I referenced in Duke's pursuit of Wall last week.
Look, UNC might be a point guard away from a third straight trip to the Final Four in 2010 (although I wouldn't count out Larry Drew II), so on some level it makes sense for Ol' Roy to call Wall, the highest-rated guard prospect in the class of 2009.
But the same desperate principle applies — UNC, like Duke, is one of the best universities in this country, how many fifth-year seniors can get into UNC, let alone one who has been to three different high schools in five years?
Wall's visit to Duke — three days after Coach K's public proclamation that he would find a point guard — was curious, this move by Williams is downright laughable viewed through the prism of "Anything Duke can do, we can do better."
Understandable, given the change in Wall's recruitment process with John Calipari leaving Memphis for Kentucky, but still comical and a desperate last-ditch attempt to get the kid. At least Duke had previously been a player in the Wall sweepstakes. -- J.P. Giglio
Friday, April 3, 2009
Contacting Wall a desperate act by UNC
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
15 comments:
This article is a desperate act by the writer.
Any player that is unsigned is up for grabs. Roy Williams probably knows something that you don't, possibly that Ed Davis is leaving and vacating a previously occupied scholarship, and he views the PG position as a possible weakness. He does have a PG in the class of 2010 in Kendall Marshall coming to Chapel Hill, but if a player with the skill of John Wall is available, and you know that Duke has put on the full court press, why would you not atleast make an effort. Williams loyalty to Marshall, and his previous tendency to stay away from players who have vocalized their feelings on staying with a program after their freshman year might have initially been a factor here. Larry Drew II has played less minutes as the season has progressed and especially into the tournament, which would lead me to believe that Williams confidence in the young PG may not be as high as it once was. You can theorize about many things, but everything that I have written here is just that, and more importantly, if a player like John Wall is as good as advertised, available, and is in a position to help Roy Williams and the University of North Carolina, I don't think that Coach K and Duke University has anything to do with it.
And of course NC State recruited him first, offered him first, and has now moved to the back burner.
Cousins = nope
Favors = no way
Wall = ain't gonna happen
It's so obvious this wrtiter graduated from UNC's journalism program. He's trying to do a balancing act here but his bias still shines through. Somehow Duke wouldn't compete for a final four next year if Wall comes to Duke yet UNC who is in line to lose 5 maybe 6 players is. Okay.
Craig, y'all are always whining about UNC biased reporters. How you can find bias in this story, I have no idea. I think it is embarrassing that either Roy or K is recruiting this guy who is clearly a one and out player. Let him play at St. Augs.
What's desperate about it?
Roy needs a PG for exactly one year, until Marshall shows 2010. Wall will only play one year. Perfect fit (if he can get Wall away from his "handlers"). Sure, Drew II is there, but you can't have just one PG on the roster.
Maybe he should read todays article where they actually spoke to Wall himself so they's have some actual information to go on and not just silly speculation. Wall himself said that UNC is not recruiting him and from what I've heard of the baggage he may have I'm glad to hear it. It doesn't mean Roy can't speak to him or wish him the best.
I think it is important to point out that the route Roy plans to use to land Wall is different than the one that Coach K will apparently employ.
Brian Clifton will not be involved in Roy's recruitment of John Wall. Roy will work directly with John and his mother. Coach K, on the other hand, has already had Brian Clifton at the dinner table with Wall and his mother during Wall's visit to Duke last week.
If the author's focus in his article is Wall's academic qualifications, I cannot speak to that either way. But if the focus is that Wall has "handlers" and that UNC is placing itself at risk, that simply isn't the case. Roy will not deal with any "handlers". He never has.
Actually Wall called Roy first and he returned Wall's call and is refusing to deal with Wall's handlers. Don't see why that's a desperate act on Roy's part. Besides who couldn't use the number one player in the nation if he's up for grabs.
You jock sniffing slobs are so predictable in your inability to report a story. Sports desks really should be separate from real news desks.
Leaving aside the fact that all your crap is just as partisan as the "mouthbreathing fans" you sit around in the copy room with your fellow slob sportswriters and loathe, you got the story wrong.
K is kissing Brian Clifton's ring just like he was willing to get in bed with Myron Piggie and Quin Snyder when he was desperate to upgrade the talent in the late 90's.
There is a power struggle going on between Wall's mother and Clifton for influence over the recruit. Roy has taken the high road all along and refused to deal with Clifton...Wall and and his mother are the impetus behind the contact with Carolina.
Krzyzewski is yet again taking the low road, because he is a win-at-all-costs egomaniac who has been busy building his legacy (read: Olympics) and hasn't put in the time on the recruiting trail. And now he wants to reap the rewards without having put the work in.
F him and F you, slob.
^ f u annonymous anf f unc
Let me get this straight. Despite the fact that Wall has said UNC is not recruiting him, you conclude that UNC is recruiting him because they called him.
And you conclude that Roy's decision to recruit him is based on concern that Duke is now recruiting him, even though UNC previously seemed unconcerned that he would end up at Memphis with Calipari. Do I have this right? According to you, Roy wasn't concerned at all about Wall joining Xavier Henry and Demarcus Cousins at a school that went to the Elite Eight and then the national title game, but Roy was shaking in his boots at the thought of Wall joining a school that hasn't been able to make it past the Sweet 16 in five years? You realize that makes no sense, right?
I'd really love to hear what you think of as your explanation for why Roy Williams would go a year without recruiting John Wall and then suddenly begins recruiting him. Because without that, you're sort of left with the public comments of the player himself, who said UNC wasn't recruiting him.
J.P., this is pathetic and frankly the only reason you wrote this garbage is b/c you wrote effectively the same thing about Coach K in recent weeks.
Let me tell you the difference (and I think you already know, but feel the obligation to call Roy's act "desperate" since you said the same about K): K went completely against his own recruiting principles when he agreed to deal with Wall's AAU Coach, Brian Clifton, a former agent scumbag looking to ride Wall's NBA gravy train. That is a desperate act of a coach who's been getting his a$$ kicked on the recruiting trail since Roy came back to NC, and frankly, he's been getting it handed to him by the Heels on the court too, losing early in the Dance, etc.
Roy, on the other hand, either placed a call to Wall or fielded one from Wall (no one seems to know the truth on this), but again, Roy has made it abundantly clear that if the process must go through Clifton, UNC will not be involved. So NOTHING HAS CHANGED from UNC's end, unless Mama Wall now sees that she's got 2 of the best programs in America in their own backyard, she could drive 30 minutes to watch her son play, and the fact Clifton isn't on board - he was reportedly "unimpressed" on his dook visit while Wall apparently really enjoyed it - just MIGHT mean he has ulterior motives.
There is nothing desperate about UNC's attempt to get involved with Wall - we have no back up PGs next year. Dook has 3 guards for 2 positions. We BOTH need him and he's the top PG in the class.
The only thing desperate is your attempt to ride the fence and appease the ABCers by comparing these 2 situations. Apples and oranges.
How is recruiting the top PG in the nation "desperate?" We've all seen that injuries can strike at any time. PG is the most important position in college basketball. UNC does not have a pure PG behind LDII. Why would Roy NOT call the best PG available?
Post a Comment