The great American recruiting chase for John Wall will end with Kentucky, according to Slam magazine.
Wall, the super point guard prospect from Raleigh's Word of God, apparently has chosen the Wildcats over a raft of offers from Duke, N.C. State, Miami, Baylor, Memphis and Florida.
New Kentucky coach John Calipari had courted Wall to Memphis, where he groomed a pair of one-and-done point guards in the past two seasons. When Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky on April 1, it extended Wall's recruiting process.
Considered the best point guard prospect in the country, Wall went to three different high schools in five years in the Triangle. He exploded onto the national recruiting scene two summers ago at a camp in Philadelphia.
He was first pursued by the Wolfpack, then Duke joined the fray and even UNC's Roy Williams made a late call to Wall during the Final Four. Instead of staying home, Wall apparently went with Calipari.
This would be the second time in three years Duke has lost out on a top-flight recruit, late in the signing process, to Kentucky (forward Patrick Patterson in '07).
-- J.P. Giglio
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Report: Wall to Kentucky
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
48 comments:
How much did that cost Coach Cal?
Who cares about this kid, He steals people property like he steals the ball on the court. Just another criminal getting a free ride becuase he has talent in sports!
Anonymous 10:04: He didn't steal anything stupid. Get your facts straight and stop hating cause you got cut from the Freshman basketball team.
Kentucky will probably not lose a ballgame for a few yrs in a row now.
Gotta love the Wildcats.
I am reading that this is the greatest recruiting class ever assembled. Wall is the capstone of this class.
how did he get out of carolina? is the tradition and fan base at UK that much better? I know it's great, but this is a carolina kid, what happened?
Roy did make a call to Wall, but he didn't offer him a scholarship b/c he runs around with a "posse". That is the last thing the Heels would want on the team. He is one and done anyway, so KY fans enjoy him for the nextt 365 days.
Go Heels!!
Is this circus finally over? Calipari will have UK on probation within 2 years. Who am I kidding? The NCAA will continue to look the other way (see USC, UNC-CH, etc.) due to the $$$ involved.
Wall runs with a "posse" ?
didn't ty lawson use drugs and run with a gang every summer while at unc ?
sour grapes by the heels on this one. You let a local great player go to the powerhouse rival.
-Wolfpack 4ever-
Another "one and done" kid. Good for Kentucky.
This would be the second time in three years Duke has lost out on a top-flight recruit, late in the signing process, to Kentucky (forward Patrick Patterson in '07).
But coach kyrszwesksisskiwewsky is the greatest coach in the galaxy!
Of course all the Tarheel fans will talk bad about him because they didn't get him...
and didnt Ty Lawson receive a DWI..
sour grapes by UNC fans????? Hello we just won the National Championship and in case you have not noticed we are reloading for another run. Of course you are a wolfpack fan, i guess i should just feel sorry for you. When is the last time your teams won anything??
GO HEELS!!
man, good thing we won this year...looks like KY and Cal are going to own.
go tar holes !
Come on people, he's a 19 yr old kid. He and a male friend went to a house that's for sale with a female friend. Ya think he was looking for TV's to steal? LOL! The facts are simple with his choice of college, he's going where the coach has proven that he can consistently do what he wants/needs him to do...allow a fast paced point guard to grow and flourish in his system. Cal has done that. Can't fault the kid for any of that. Walk in this young man's shoes and I bet most would spazz out under the pressure.
OVERRATED...I saw the State title game at Charlotte Latin this year and Wall was like 4-24 from the field with an airball on one of only two attempts from outside. He dribbled the ball off his leg while undefended as the final seconds ticked off the clock as he was preparing to take the last shot. He repeatedly drove through numerous defenders to the rim, but had nothing left to finish...he got several attempts blocked inside. He was fearless and made a super block on an opponents drive to the rim for a dunk and he also dunked violently on the last play of the first half. Ian Miller of United Faith made a 40-footer after Wall's crucial turnover to win the State title (see YouTube). That shot was after time expired as you can see on the video, but they counted it anyway. Miller was fabulous throughout.
By the way...how many rings does Coach Cal have anyway? Last time I checked he was sitting at zero. KY will win more games this year, but they will not win the big one. Wall will drop out of school as soon as they lose in the Regionals and Cal will go write some more checks to recruits. What a joke!!
Go Heels!!
Anon 10:24 - Yes, it is. It's better in a number of places. Contrary to the belief of NC residents, the basketball world DOES NOT revolve around the ACC. In fact, outside of the UNC hoops program, the ACC has been a joke since expansion - in football and basketball. I'm not surprised at all that Wall is going elsewhere.
coach cal at ky will win some titles....mark it down.
how many titles did roy win before he came to the elite program of UNC? none...and he was at an elite program in kansas for 15 yrs.
Roy runs a good program, Cal is a better recruiter and coach on the court i think.
don't bash Cal cause you're scared of what he is doing at KY. I look for a good rivalry between the two elite programs in college basketball.
may the best team win.
Poor ACC a$$holes. They're already pulling the "Wall must have been paid" card. It will be fun destroying UNC in December and Duke in March.
Geesh. How DARE UK accept a "one-and-done". It's NEVER BEFORE happened in the history of college basketball. Heaven forbid that Kentucky have the prestige, tradition, fan base, etc. etc. to attract talent that's just THAT GOOD to be considered a one-and-done. UK's just pure evil, I tell ya.
Go Cats!
All this UNC animosity. It's doing nothing but totally flattering the entire UK fanbase. It's just great. I love it.
Poor Kentucky. So desperate are they for some wins that they recruit a troubled young man dragging along a posse of troubles behind him.
Wall will never graduate from UK and will in all likelihood not stay very long, either. He's off to the league asap.
One NPOTY does not a program or NCAA title make. Ask Oklahoma.
UK is a has-been program and Kentucky is a never-was state.
^ We don't need to "make a program". Already been made long, long ago. That's why we can attract one-and-done type talent. Thanks for playing. Move along.
Pretty nice to be awesome enough to be hated and get THIS MUCH attention! I love it!
Just because Cal + KY is out recruiting everybody, all the idiots say there is money involved. You crybaby blue fans better get used to it. KY will have the best recruits for years to come, and the sore losers will make wild accusations.
Carolina never recruited this kid other than a call from Roy - no scholarship offer. Dook and State are the ones who let him "get away".
By the way KY fans, Roy's not getting out-recruited....check UNC's incoming class out!
Wall can play.
Larry Drew II? He'll get better.
Go Heels.
I am glad for Ky. They need to get back in the spotlight. Wall will be under control In Cal's system. He is not the only star that Kentucky will have so it will be much different than high school.
I look forward to UK and UNC. This is what college basketball needs. The big boys at the top every year.
Kentucky has won but 2 titles since 1978. Most of your titles came long ago under the avowed racist Adolph Rupp. Your school isn't particularly well-regarded academically. Your state is not a leader in anything but alcohol and horse racing. You cheer bringing on board a young man who has trouble graduating from a marginal high school with a "posse" that makes most intelligent people say, "oh,no thanks." You guys are a class act. Have all; the John Wall you want. I'm glad Roy didn't reecruit him. For a brief, terror-filled moment, I was afraid that he would. Roy is too smart for that kind of mess.
Why all the hate towards Kentucky? Are you jealous? A title is a title no matter the era. Every conference has had it's share of bad years. I am an ACC fan but give Ky credit, they have 7 titles. I thought our fans were better than this. I am embarrased to be a UNC fan right now.
When you start slamming someone and their state, it just shows your own ignorance. Please, where are my fellow Carolinafans with a brain?
Kansas was on probation because of Roy so do not throw rocks in your glass house.
Man this message board is green with envy. it is obvious from the comments that there is some serious jealousy rolling in Carolina. Are these Carolina fans or DOOK fans? This is hilarious.
WOW! What a classy group of fans from the state of Carolina. All the put downs of Ky. are so clever. The bourbon and horse racing comment was so funny. I have never heard that before. Whats the matter ladies? Someone coming to take your ball? MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
C-A-T-S CATS! CATS! CATS!
UNC fans are so classy. THis board proves it.
I can't wait to see you play in Rupp arena John Wall.
go CATS!
-Ashley Judd-
UNC fans bashing on Cal, KY, and even bringing up a history of racism. ABSURD!!!!! Way to play the race card when it comes to basketball championships, makes no sense.
I'm ashamed of my fellow tar heels. I respect the history of all great basketball schools.
We'll settle it on the court.
Kentucky is a joke. They are the new Memphis. The old Cincy. Whatever.
Go Pack.
I hate UCLA, UNC and Kentucky.
Duke - as always - will reign supreme.
DUKE. enough said.
Uhhhhhh.... leave it to a NC State fan to say something stupid. What has NC State done?
As a Heel fan and alum, I am discouraged at the blatant disregard of a fellow basketball power. Sure UK has had some down years, which I guess some of my brother Tar Heels must have forgotten we too were in that boat not long ago.
I say congrats to UK, congrats to Cal, and furthermore congrats to college hoops for it's strengthened rivalry of the two top programs.
I hold no ill will towards UK or it's fans for the class they have coming in. I apologize for the inappropriate comments left by some of my fellow Heels.
It just shows that even though some of us are educated people not all of us bring an educated opinion to message boards.
So easy to throw stones, but I for one will not.
I appeal to Tar Heel fans everyone, please show some sense of civility and not lower yourselves to childish and jealous remarks. We are better than that.
Go Heels!!
Oh PLease DOOK? It is a school for gay basketball players. Coach SHHHCHEFSKI is the biggest cry baby in the South. GO HEELS
UNC and Kentucky - Top 2 programs?!
You people are absurd. U C L A.
There can be only one (in the end) and that is us - The BRUINS.
UNC, Kentucky, Indiana, Duke and Kansas can fight for 2nd or 3rd or whatever, but, in the end, it's just UCLA and everyone else.
11 banners. ELEVEN!
By the way, Kentucky is bush.
Mr. UCLA,
PITT is better than UCLA...Howland shoulda stayed there.
Have fun whipping the pac-10 cupcakes in Pauly Shore Pavilion.
I propose 3 powerhouse teams:
KY, Kansas, UNC...no one else has the history or the fans.
Mr. UCLA,
I thought these comments were being left from sports fans who enjoy actual recruiting battles. You my friend are on the Left Coast.
Outside of UCLA basketball and USC football there is nothing. The East Coast schools must fight tooth and nail with other top notch schools in order to stay atop of their regions.
So yes I give you accolades for your 11 banners. Although even playing in the PAC 10 you still don't add up on total wins. Total wins is a testimony to enduring success throughout decades of games played. Not just the enjoyment of winning in a span of two decades.
Go figure!!
By the way I too used to be a UCLA fan before I saw the light.
Please don't persecute me for what I see as the facts!!
Go JayHawks!!
The kid is good! How good? We will see next year.Look, its all about politics at the end of the day. I am a die hard Carolina Fan but not at all sad we didnt get this kid. He went to play for a coach where his talent would best fit their style of play with a great supporting cast as well. I dont beilieve he has the true point guard leadership qualities as all of the other great Carolina guards. But he will have a solid career but I still need to see more. no homo.
- GO HEELS!!!!
Well, he has his own talent. Just criticizing the kid!
Post a Comment