By Stephen D. Riley
Special to the AFRO
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John Wall, the No. 1 high school point guard prospect in the country, recently announced he will attend the University of Kentucky next fall. (Courtesy Photo/kentuckysportsradio.com)
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(May 26, 2009) - In what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated seasons in the history of Kentucky University basketball, the level of expectation was raised another notch last week when mega recruit John Wall announced his intentions to become a Wildcat next year.
The 6-foot-4 guard was the No.1 high school point guard prospect in the country and his signing with the University of Kentucky puts their incoming freshmen class in historic discussions.
Wall will join fellow top recruit power forward DeMarcus Cousins to give the Wildcats the top two rated players in the high school graduating class of 2009. Along with consensus top 25 players Daniel Orton and Eric Bledsoe, and four-star recruit junior-college transfer Darnell Dodson, Kentucky not only has the top recruiting class in the nation but a class that should be lauded amongst the best in college basketball history.
While their class is impressive, it is Wall who will be the headliner of Kentucky’s group. The ultra-athletic Wall has drawn comparisons to Derrick Rose, the former super recruit of ex-Memphis Tigers and now current Kentucky head coach John Calipari.
Wall is expected to waltz into the starting point guard slot although fellow freshman Eric Bledsoe is as talented as any in the nation. Calipari will have the luxury of playing both in the backcourt together, utilizing Wall’s 6-foot-4 length at the two-guard position.
While Bledsoe is deemed as a true point guard with excellent vision, he may have to take a backseat to the young man that some have labeled the best prospect in the country. Equipped with blinding speed, the ability to finish and cat-like quickness, Wall has the tools to make him a “one-and-done” phenom sure to land on a NBA roster should he produce a solid freshman year.
“I had a group of great schools and I admire them all,” Wall told the Raleigh News and Observer. “But the relationship I had with Coach Cal (Calipari) was the biggest factor.”
“In the end, I just felt I wanted to play for Coach Cal. Coaches give different visions of what they can do for you when they talk to you. And all of those are impressive. But my long relationship with Coach Cal and what he can do for me in his program was the main thing.”