Wall ready to play North Carolina
December 1st, 2009 | 
Author: By LARRY VAUGHT
larry@amnews.com
He was considered the nation’s No. 1 prep player last year by many and has been projected not only as a potential College Player of the Year, but even as the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Yet Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall can’t wait to play against No. 10 North Carolina Saturday in Rupp Arena.
“I think we all like the big challenges. None of the teams we have played have been easy, but you can’t wait to play against a big-name team like a North Carolina,” said Wall, who had 14 assists in Monday’s win over UNC-Asheville. “That’s just human nature for anybody.
“You have to go one game at a time and stay focused, but those are the games you like and want to play. You have to step up in those games and show you have learned what coach Cal wanted on offense and defense. But I think I have.”
Wall has already been the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week and hit a game-winning shot. He is averaging 18.5 points, 6.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals for No. 6 Kentucky (7-0). However, he knows North Carolina is his first big test even if Stanford did take UK to overtime in the Cancun Challenge.
“You can’t say yet how good we will be because we have a lot of work to do and a lot of big games starting with North Carolina, but I think we can be a pretty good team. This can be the best team I have played on. We just can’t think we are the greatest team already, but we have a lot of great players from one through 13,” Wall said.
However, the spotlight is going to be on Wall, a North Carolina native, more than anyone Saturday. It’s his first nationally televised game and he’ll be going against the home-state school that barely recruited him despite his remarkable ability.
“A lot of eyes are going to be on me because that is my hometown team and this is really my first time playing against on the national stage,” Wall said. “This is a big stage and that’s something I have pretty much had my whole life.
“I can’t go out there and try to put on a show and try to do too much and get outside our offense. I am going to stay in the flow of the offense and do what my coach wants me to do. This not about me. It is about my team playing North Carolina.”
Wall was only briefly recruited by North Carolina coach Roy Williams during the Tar Heels’ national championship season last year.
“They talked to me twice. One time is when they were getting ready to go play for a championship and he (Williams) said he would call me when it was over and he never called me. He never offered me (a scholarship). That is a decision he made and I am happy here,” Wall said.
Still, Wall’s ailing mother in Raleigh had him contemplating staying closer to home to play college basketball even though he had liked Calipari even before the coach came to Kentucky.
“I was thinking if my mom got really sick I would stay home because a person that put you on the earth and the person you love the most, you don’t want to be away from her as much as I am,” Wall said.
“But he made a decision not to offer me. I didn’t get a chance to be recruited by them and that’s a choice he made. He is doing a great job with his team and I made by decision to come play with coach Cal. I know I’m happy with what I did.”
Did Williams ever give a reason for not recruiting him?
“They never did. That is something I just put behind me and looked forward to this college season,” Wall said. “Now that the game is here, none of that really matters any way. All that matters is us getting a win.”
Posted in UK Basketball
Finally, someone who makes sense! Thank you TRUBLU69 I feel much better now. GO CATS!
TheCleverkid: No it’s not Kentucky only board, But add something of substance is all I ask..Listen I Picked UNC to repeat before the season started..Last night against MSU made my pick look better..I think ROY is the best Coach in the country…Guys, MARCUS CAMBY screwed up not CAL, The NCAA says to this day that they don’t know If WAL took that test or not..They had concerns about it before the clearinghouse looked at it, and the Clearinghouse said OH LET HIM PLAY!!..Now I don’t know what you think about it but neither of those VACATED FF had anything to do with CAL…I mean, Let me ask you what your views are on CORY MAGGETTE…If you say CAL knew everything, Then Coach K knew everything, FAIR Enough? Give up on the CAL cheats Crap…Those things happen at every school including YOURS..Bad Luck to UNC on saturday LOL!! GO BIG BLUE!!!!!
TRUBLU, you do mean they don’t know if ROSE took the test, right?
I’M sorry I meant to say the NCAA still don’t know if ROSE took that test..LOL….NONE the Less, Not one Coach in the country can be everywhere all the time..Trust me, everyone should be worried with the NCAA’s selective Bias in these cases…TO clear a kid to play and after the season is over then make a decision is beyond IRRESPONSABLE It is a FARCE..No Matter who It happens to..With that said..Welcome to the best blog on the WEB..Larry Vaught is the best AP writer going, so come on back and join us, your welcome here, But lets Keep it nice….I still say, Bad Luck UNC saturday LOL…GO BIG BLUE!!!!!
I get the feeling that someone we don’t expect, is going to be the player we end up talking about after this game. Maybe Dodson or Harrellson. Something just tells me that someone, besides the starters, is going to come up huge and be the difference. GO SUBS!!!! and GO BIG BLUE!!!
Thanks JIM!!! LOL..They say the legs go first, I beg to differ..LOL…GO BIG BLUE!!!
Alright guys and gals, I hope that ALL Kentucky fans enjoy the game, and I hope its a good one. Honestly there hasn’t been a real good one since this series started back. You dominate us then we dominated you. Amazing how BOTH programs have been thru basically the same thing with their coaching changes this decade. Regardless of dislike for each other or trash talking on message boards, we hold two things in common.
1) We are the two winningest, tradition rich programs in college basketball and that isn’t ever going to change’
2) We hate Dook, Puke, whatever name you have for them with all our heart and soul and that isn’t ever going to change… eeeesh talk about a message board that I definitely stay away from… ever go on the Dook Basketball Report? horrible
Cleverkid, I wouldn’t go near that site. I’d be afraid my computer wouldn’t just get a virus, it would get COMPUTER HIV.
YES Dodson really came out strong his first couple of games, we need him at his best, not just for this one, for all of them, maybe he can get his mind back into it after sitting for awhile…Listen Wall and Bledsoe are going to have theyer hands full with strickland and drew..But I think that the UNC guards are going to have to play better than they have so far on the defensive end..Wall will get to the paint in this game, Dodson and bledsoe will have some open looks…I predict, If the CATS hit 6 to 8 threes out of 20 att. the CATS win..If we don’t atleast shoot our 37% We loose..UNC can skat if you give them the long rebounds..With that said, We have a chance this year to win this game, In the last 2 seasons I couldn’t say that…GO CATS GO BIG BLUE!!!!!
You are right Cleveland. Maybe we are due a really good game. I sure would like that.
My guess is that no matter who wins, both these teams are going to be around in March
Amen to that TRUBLU. The last several years, I just had a sickly feeling going into this game. This year at least has some promise. I hope for a good showing by UK, win or lose. And I don’t want this game to be decided by some stupid decision or play call, like Cal taking Cobb out on our final possession….Wait, wrong sport, but same idea. A clean, well played game would be awesome.
cleverkid: You Got that right, I spent 3 days trying to convince a few PUKE fans that besides the CHRISTIAN LEATNER “SHOT” game the CATS have OWNED PUKE in the big games head to head…And the reverse is UNC has owned us..I COULDN”T get through to them i Quit trying.LOL…But I also told them that Coach K has not changed his game on either side of the floor, not once..If PUKE can’t hit 3’s anyone and I do mean anyone in the ACC or SEC can beat them year in and year out…Here In KY we once was accused of being a 3 point team only..”PATINO YEARS”, Maybe so..But PUKE has always been that LIVE BY THE 3 DIE BY THE 3 IMO!!! But when I say Bad Luck UNC..I don’t want to see any one get hurt only UNC’s Pride.LOL….GO BIG BLUE!!!!!
Larry, since you are on, do you think that Cal constantly making the public statements about how poor this team plays and how much better UNC, UConn and Indiana are, have any negative effects on the players. I would hope he says one thing in public to cool expectations, but another thing to the guys to fire them up. These are just kids, so they will believe whatever he tells them to believe. If he is telling them these things, it could be a self-fulfilling prophecy come Saturday. I don’t believe he does though.
NOT since TAYSHAUN shooting 3’s from half court have we been really in this game….MAN I go on youtube every now and then and whatch those five 3’s is 3:40 to start the game..WOW!!! I hate that TAY is having Back problems, Maybe he can get back and help the PISTONS…GO TAY!! GO BIG BLUE!!!!
Now this is more like it…you guys are great. I’m hoping Harrellson will have a outstanding game. I liked him last year and not know what all was going on, I really felt like he wasn’t getting a chance. He is not a Patterson or Cousins but he can make contributions.
LINDA, You are sooo right, He is vary productive when he is on the floor..He is due a DOUBLE DOUBLE, or a 20 point game….He is definatly capable….It is just so tuff to get him alot of minutes… a time will come when Orton, BIG CUZ or PATTERSON will be either in foul trouble or injury etc.. And Josh will come up huge..Who knows maybe saturday..LOL..GO BIG BLUE!!!!GO BIG BLUE!!!!
Trublu69 is right about the forward spots being a win or loose factor. Also,watch for Miller to possibly have a big game. He was really starting to come alive at the end of last year and I think he has been lost in the spotlight on Wall, Patterson and Cousins. He is a great player. He’s tall for a guard, can handle the ball, shoot threes and most importantly has that mid-range floater. That makes UK three dimensional as far as the other teams defence goes and Miller can create that shot off the dribble. If you can incorporate those 12-15 footers with Kentucky’s big men and guards…bye bye. UNC knows about our stars in the lime light but Miller really could be this teams X-factor that catches teams with their pants down. Ugh…the thought of Roy Williams with his pants down is searing my brain!
I think Cal just tries to motivate the guys, Jim. He’s a master at that kind of stuff.
Miller could be a key. Certainly a big game from him would give uK a much better chance to end its five-game skid.
Just don’t know about Harrellson. I don’t see him getting much PT this game. Could be wrong
I don’t thnk Harrellson will get much time either, but I’m hoping!
That’s a shame because Harrellson is a solid player. He doesn’t play much and yet you find his name in the box scores almost every game. Kentucky gets quality minutes from him. Far better than that of Stevenson. I don’t know if you all agree but I get uneasy when Stevenson has the ball in his hands. I keep thinking, when is he going to throw the bad pass or travel on his first step to the basket. You would think after four years he would have learned not to shuffle his feet. He does it at least once every other game. One thing is for sure, when our stars get hot that opens it up for everyone else and we have a good amount of guys that can get 10+ any given night. Our starting five average 70+ points per game. UNC starters average just 60 points. However, our bench puts up just 19 points and UNC’s bench puts up 25. Add them up and you get a score of 89 UK and 85 UNC. Wildcats win!!!!