May 19, 2009
Word Of God's John Wall dunks on an ally-oop against St. Raymonds during the third day of the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational Tournament at Broughton High School Monday, December 29, 2008. Photo by Jeffrey A. Camarati
The Rivals.com report that John Wall has picked Kentucky should come as no surprise, since Wall was heavily interested in Memphis when John Calipari was the head coach there. But it's still a blow to the local schools, who had hoped the Raleigh product would stay in the area.
ACC schools rarely lose out of prospects they really want in the state of North Carolina. Those who do sign with other places tend to be players who were overlooked here. P.J. Tucker of Enloe became a star at Texas and David West of Garner became a great player at Xavier, but they didn't attract intense ACC interest.In particular, it's rare that North Carolina and Duke don't sign a great player in this state they really want.
Kentucky, obviously, is one of college basketball's elite programs, and having Calipari there will only enhance the program's stature. And coming to Tobacco Road to grab one of the nation's best players would serve as a reminder that the Wildcats will be a force in the coming seasons.
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