Colin Cowherd Goes Off The Wall With Rant On Wizards Rookie

Too often these days, we are quick to criticize people and their actions without ever having met that person or learned more about what led to their actions.  In a microwave-infused society, the speed of the reaction seems to be more important than the accuracy and/or fairness of the reaction.

Such ill-advised impatience usually results in a greater chance of someone not only saying something stupid, but appearing to have a one-sided, self-serving agenda.  The latest example of this trend is ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd’s rant on Wizards rookie John Wall doing “The Dougie” during pregame introductions Tuesday night.

Cowherd went off about Wall saying, "Before the game started, he spent 34 seconds doing the Dougie. That tells me all I need to know about J-Wow. Then he opened his mouth later and confirmed it: not a sharp guy. All about him."

Actually, Colin, Wall is anything BUT "all about him".

Wall Pass:  Cowherd Called Out

USBWA Names John Wall National Freshman of the Year

ST. LOUIS (USBWA) - Kentucky guard John Wall has been selected National Freshman of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for the 2009-10 season.

The 6-4, 195-pound Wall, from Raleigh, N.C., has averaged 16.8 points, 6.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Wildcats. He is a first-team USBWA All-American as well as the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and the USBWA District IV Player of the Year. He has led Kentucky into the East Regional with a 34-2 record that includes both the SEC Eastern Division championship and the SEC Tournament championship.

Wall was a unanimous choice in voting by USBWA members in all nine of the association's geographical districts for Freshman of the Year and was among 16 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, given to the USBWA's National Player of the Year. He is the just the second SEC player to win the USBWA's National Freshman of the Year award joining LSU's Chris Jackson, who was the first winner of the award in 1989.

"He's a deserving player by how he has led this team - an inexperienced team - and his ability to make plays when the game is in the balance," said Kentucky coach John Calipari. "I'm happy for him because he's as hard-working a player as any I've been around - on the court, in the weight room and in the classroom. This is a great honor for John to be recognized by the USBWA and another reflection of how our team success leads to individual accolades."


All-Time USBWA Freshmen of the Year:
1988-89 Chris Jackson, LSU
1989-90 Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech
1990-91 Rodney Rogers, Wake Forest
1991-92 Chris Webber, Michigan
1992-93 Jason Kidd, California
1993-94 Joe Smith, Maryland
1994-95 None selected
1995-96 None selected
1996-97 None selected
1997-98 Larry Hughes, Saint Louis
1998-99 Quentin Richardson, DePaul
1999-00 Jason Gardner, Arizona
2000-01 Eddie Griffin, Seton Hall
2001-02 T.J. Ford, Texas
2002-03 Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
2003-04 Luol Deng, Duke
2004-05 Marvin Williams, North Carolina
2005-06 Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
2006-07 Kevin Durant, Texas
2007-08 Michael Beasley, Kansas State
2008-09 Tyreke Evans, Memphis
2009-10 John Wall, Kentucky

Charles Pierce: John Calipari Is The Sleaziest Coach In A Sleazy Game

One of the aspects of being successful is criticism of your methods.  And every rung up the ladder you climb brings more, and oftentimes, harsher criticism.

Take John Calipari for example.  Since he's been the head coach at Kentucky, I get people constantly coming up to be talking about how dirty he is.  They seem to get joy out of proclaiming that UK will end up on NCAA probation in the next few years.  Their argument is that since it happened to Calipari's previous schools--Massachusetts and Memphis--then it will happen at Kentucky too.

By now, I've grown a little tired of bringing up the points that in both of those instances, Calipari was cleared of any wrongdoing.  Not once did the NCAA find that Calipari did anything illegal or unethical, but as we have all learned in our lives, the truth doesn't always make for the best story or opinion column.

Case in point is this article from Slate.com's Charles P. Pierce, in which he calls Calipari "the sleaziest coach in a sleazy game." 

Pierce makes some pretty serious claims, including that John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins "have already partly checked out. Their concern for their draft status might be enough to motivate them to play hard in the tournament. But if they do, it won't be because of the motivational genius of John Calipari. He's already distant white noise in their lives."

That's a pretty bold statement considering I very strongly doubt Pierce has spent very much time with either Wall or Cousins or members of their families.  Just because you believe--or want to believe--something to be true, doesn't mean it is.

I was also a little taken back by this passage:  "I watched them beat the tar out of Tennessee in the SEC tournament, a ridiculous 74-45 blowout during which freshman center DeMarcus Cousins took the opportunity to give head coach John Calipari one of the greatest "Honky, please" looks since the demise of Richard Pryor, and a backup named Daniel Orton was told to absent himself briefly from the proceedings and walked up the tunnel, leaving Kentucky undermanned and the broadcast crew completely baffled."

I was not seated courtside at Bridgestone Arena during the SEC Tournament to be able to witness or affirm what Pierce alleges, but I also haven't heard anyone else speak to such incidents either.  I mean, seriously Charlie, those are some pretty strong statements you made.  Honky, please?  Who even says that anymore?  And the fact that Pierce would try to attribute something so foul to a 18-year old kid is beyond petty.  It's pathetic!

So, I encourage you to check out the full article yourself.  And you decide.  Is the criticism justified or is it just some dude spewing Hater-ade??  Either way, knowing Calipari the way I do, it won't slow down Kentucky's march back to the Final Four.  If anything, it will just make that march even more determined!

US Basketball Writers Association Announces All-America Team

ST. LOUIS (USBWA) - Two pairs of teammates from the nation's top two teams headline the 2009-10 U.S. Basketball Writers Association's All-America Team. Senior guard Sherron Collins of Kansas and freshman guard John Wall of Kentucky pace the first team. Along with Collins, Notre Dame senior forward Luke Harangody returns to the All-America team as a second-team choice. Collins and Harangody were both second-team selections a year ago.

Each of the ten selections is among the 16 Oscar Robertson Trophy finalists. The USBWA's National Player of the Year Award will be announced next Monday and presented on Friday, April 2 at the 2010 USBWA College Basketball Awards Breakfast at the Columbia Club in Indianapolis.

Collins' Kansas teammate Cole Aldrich earned second-team honors, while Wall's Kentucky teammate DeMarcus Cousins also earned a spot on the second team. A pair of Big East standouts - Wesley Johnson of Syracuse and Scottie Rodgers of Villanova - were first-team selections along with Ohio State's Evan Turner.

Joining Aldrich, Cousins and Harangody on the second team are James Anderson of Oklahoma State and Jon Scheyer of Duke.

Following is the complete 2009-10 USBWA All-America team:

First Team
Sherron Collins, Kansas (G, 5-11, 205, Sr., Chicago, Ill.)
Wesley Johnson, Syracuse (F, 6-7, 205, Jr., Corsicana, Texas)
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova (G, 6-2, 190, Sr., Herndon, Va.)
Evan Turner, Ohio State (G/F, 6-7, 205, Jr., Chicago, Ill.)
John Wall, Kentucky (G, 6-4, 195, Fr., Raleigh, N.C.)

Second Team
Cole Aldrich, Kansas (C, 6-11, 245, Jr., Bloomington, Ind.)
James Anderson, Oklahoma State (G, 6-6, 210, Jr., Junction City, Ark.)
DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky (F, 6-11, 260, Fr., Mobile, Ala.)
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (F, 6-8, 246, Sr., Schererville, Ind.)
Jon Scheyer, Duke (G, 6-5, 190, Sr., Northbrook, Ill.)

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. Today, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its All-America team, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-421-0339.

NBA Teams Salivating Over John Wall

Over the weekend, I worked the Kansas vs. UCLA game at Pauley Pavilion as part of the Big-12/Pac-10 hardwood series.  In case you missed it, the game wasn’t overly exciting.  The top-ranked Jayhawks played like the best team in the country in stretches and survived a valiant effort from a rebuilding Bruins team, 73-61.

UK Freshman Class The Best of All Time? Hold Your Horses, Hoss

I just stumbled across a post on Bleacher Report suggesting that Kentucky's incoming freshman class may be the best college basketball recruiting class ever assembled. Here's an excerpt:

"Though they lack a popular nickname for now (Scintillating or Super Sextet, Big Blue Babies, and Kentucky's Kids are the suggestion's I'm throwing out there), Kentucky's young guns are going to be almost impossible to stop from day one.

John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are arguably the two best freshmen in the country and Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton, and Jon Hood aren't too far behind. Also, small forward Darnell Dodson is one of the best JUCO transfers in the country."

Now, I have never been one to rate how good players are until they prove how good they are on the collegiate level. We have all seen several so-called hoop phenoms fall way short of their expectations once they make the leap from high school to college. Thus, reminding us that prior success does not always dictate future success.

So again, before we starting anointing the 2009 UK Freshman class as the best of all time, how about we let them prove their ranking first?


Road to The Final Four: 10 Teams Relying Heavily on Freshmen | Bleacher Report

John Wall Dunks Over Jerry Stackhouse

Jordan Crawford's dunk over LeBron James received way more attention for obvious reasons, but in terms of the actual dunk itself, Crawford's jam falls short of what UK recruit John Wall did recently to Jerry Stackhouse.

Now, I will give Stack a little bit of a pass: 1) He was coming over to help 2) He is way past his prime. But getting dunked on is getting dunked on.

As far as Wall is concerned, I heard that he played very well in that North Carolina summer league, and more importantly for UK fans, playing against current NBA ballers boosted Wall's confidence even higher--as if it even needed it!

UK's John Wall Projected To Be 2010 #1 NBA Draft Pick

Less than a week after the Clippers made Oklahoma's Blake Griffin the #1 overall pick, there's already a discussion on who should be the favorite to be next year's top NBA Draft pick.

Kentucky fans probably won't be surprised to hear that UK's top recruit John Wall seems to be the leading contender. He's got NBA-ready skills right now and likely would have been a lottery pick this year if he had been eligible for the draft.

Wall's chances of being next summer's top pick also has history on their side. Last year, the Bulls tapped Derrick Rose to be the number one pick, and just last week, the Kings drafted Tyreke Evans #4 overall. The common denominator of those two picks? John Calipari was their coach at Memphis--the same man who will coach Wall at Kentucky.

So enjoy him while you can UK fans. Not only is Wall a definite one-and done player, but he could become Kentucky's first ever #1 overall draft pick.

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=959971

NBA Exec: "Calipari Signed My Draft Pick"

How good is UK commit John Wall? A NBA exec just texted me, "Calipari signed my draft pick today!"

That's right, the NBA believes Wall is a lottery pick waiting to happen. At least for UK's sake, he will spend that one season leading up to the 2010 NBA Draft by guiding what could be the most talented college basketball team in the country.

The only issue facing John Calipari now is which three players currently on the roster will have to find new schools.

Yo, Eaves.. Where Have You Been?

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been a while since I've posted anything here. I guess I could list a few excuses--mostly work-related, of course--but what's the point, really? No matter the reason, the fact remains that I have been slipping on the posting front.

And here's the funny thing, there have been several stories/topics that have popped up lately worthy of my reactions and opinions. I just simply never get around to writing anything down. Maybe I will do that later, who knows?

I'm just chiming in to say that I am fully aware that I have been an absent-minded blogger as of late, but hopefully I will get back in a groove real soon.

By the way, before I leave, how about John Calipari's first recruiting class at Kentucky? Talk about making an entrance. Welcome to the UK Nation, John Wall!

Eric Bledsoe Signs With UK; John Wall Decision Not Expected Until May 20th

As UK coaches had hoped and expected, Eric Bledsoe signed his national letter-of-intent Wednesday. He's going to be a Wildcat.

This signing fills a huge void at the point guard position. Considered to be one of the top 3 players at that spot in the 2009 class, Bledsoe can step into a starting role immediately.

The other benefit of this signing is that it makes the possibility of Kentucky not landing John Wall a little easier to swallow. John Calipari definitely wants both, but if he only ends up with Bledsoe, it's definitely not the end of the world.

Now, don't get me wrong. UK is still very hopeful that Wall will sign with the Cats as well, but they fully expect it to be a battle all the way to the end.

Calipari and his staff believe that Wall, his mother, and his AAU coach Brian Clifton all feel comfortable with Kentucky and that the program would be a great place for Wall to expedite his journey to the NBA, but when it comes to recruiting, nothing is a given.

As far as when to expect a decision from Wall goes, the UK coaches are working under the assumption that it won't come until the very end of the signing period: May 20th.

UK Recruiting Update On Bledsoe And Wall

As I have stated several times, I am not a big fan of reporting on college recruiting.  I think it's often way too much about possibly very little.  Only a handful of 5-star recruits go on to be top-level talent in the college ranks, and even fewer carry that pedigree to the NBA.

And since it's almost like a crap shoot trying to figure out which kid will be ultimately live up to and eventually exceed his recruiting hype, I don't go out of my way to follow the decision-making process of the nation's top recruits.  

Plus, they're kids!  They change their minds more often than Lindsay Lohan changes her sexual orientation!!

However, when I first started this blog, I promised to give my readers as much inside information as I could share.  Thus, here's what I know about a couple of UK recruits.

Let's start with Eric Bledsoe.  As most of you have heard, he is expected to announce his college choice Wednesday.  I read somewhere that it's down to either Memphis or Kentucky.  I can tell you that the UK coaches are feeling rather confident that Bledsoe will choose UK.  Maybe it's because the only reason Bledsoe is even considering Memphis is because John Calipari was recruiting him when he was coaching there, and former Calipari assistant, Josh Pastner, is the new coach of the Tigers.

Adam Zagoria quoted Bledsoe as saying that he will not base his decision on whether John Wall chooses UK or not.

"I’m going to play my position either if he do go or he don’t," said Bledsoe, who is fully aware that Wall is Kentucky's top choice.

Bledsoe thinks he and Wall would be great together on the floor, and believe me, UK would love to find out and happily sign both of them.

The other big UK recruiting news involves Wall being charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering after police found him walking out of a vacant house in his hometown of Raleigh.  I have been assured that the incident sounds a lot worse than it really is.

Wall did something he shouldn't have done, but I am told that his intentions going into the house were not malicious, and perhaps more importantly, it will not stop UK from recruiting him.  However, that may not be the case for Wall's other pursuers.

There are those within the Kentucky program that are actually hoping this incident will cause Duke to back off its recruitment of Wall.  The thought being that Mike Krzyzewski wouldn't want to do anything to call into question his program's squeaky clean image.

As far as North Carolina is concerned, Roy Williams hasn't exactly seemed eager to sign Wall in the first place.  He hasn't even offered him a scholarship.  Williams and Wall's AAU coach Brian Clifton do not get along at all.

However, it is believed that Wall is not willing to distance himself from Clifton in order to get an offer to UNC.  Clifton has filled a void in Wall's life since the passing of his father.  

If it were not for Wall having grown up in Raleigh, some UK insiders believe that he would have already signed with Kentucky, calling it "a no-brainer."

As far as their confidence level of signing Wall is concerned, it's about 50/50.  If Calipari has a feeling either way, he's not tipping his hand, and considering how his Derby picks turned out, that might be a good idea.

Xavier Henry Keeps It In The Family By Choosing KU Over UK

While it may be somewhat disappointing to the UK coaches and fans, it should not come as a huge surprise that Xavier Henry has decided to go to Kansas instead of following John Calipari to Kentucky. Xavier and his brother CJ were always going to be a package deal. Plus, both their parents played at KU.

Kentucky was willing to take both Xavier and CJ, and it would not have cost a scholarship. As I understand it, the Yankees are paying his college tuition. But what I am hearing now is that Xavier's decision basically came down to keeping harmony in the family. His mother really wanted both of her sons to play at Kansas, and the thought of them playing elsewhere was beginning to cause some drama in the Henry household.

Calipari actually told Xavier's father that they shouldn't let this decision break up the family. Calipari thinks so highly of Xavier and CJ as kids, that if the best fit for them and their family was Kansas, then so be it.

As disconcerting, as this may be for the UK staff, it's not a devastating blow to this year's recruiting efforts. The number one target all along has been John Wall. He may be the best point guard talent in this year's class, and Kentucky needs a point in the worst way.

As one UK assistant coach recently told me, "A good point is the difference between an 8-seed and a 1 or 2-seed!"

SLAM Says John Wall Is Ready To Rock The NCAA

I have been a subscriber of SLAM Magazine for a little more than a year now. When it first came out, I thought it was a little too hip-hop for me. Not that I'm not a fan of the genre--hell, hip-hop came to be during my adolescent years--I just thought the writing and the perspective weren't deep enough for my tastes. All of the articles felt like they were written by fans who were in awe of the athletes.

But like any new kid on the block, SLAM got hip to the real game and evolved under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief, Ben Osborne. The writers now seem to look for angles beyond the headlines and message boards. The perspectives are even controversial at times, but always informing.

Take the latest issue for example. In addition to talking about Brandon Jennings and Ricky Rubio being "Ready To Rock The NBA," this month's edition also features an article on highly regarded recruits John Wall and Lance Stephenson whom SLAM has deemed "Ready To Rock The NCAA."

Writer Aggrey Sam talks about how both teen phenoms came to be two of the best players at their respective positions. You can get more of his take on Wall and Stephenson on his blog, but it's really just a tease. If you want the real scoop, you will have to go out and buy the hard copy.

Here are a few excerpts, though, to really wet your thirst for more Wall knowledge. As I mentioned earlier, Wall is all about being a high draft choice after just one year in college. In the SLAM article, Wall expanded on that thought.

"I see myself in the NBA in two years (from now), playing on somebody's team, trying to lead a franchise to a championship," said Wall. "I just wanna be compared to one of the best point guards--maybe the best point guard--that ever played in the NBA."

So it's obvious that Wall will make his college choice based solely on the question of which coach (and staff) can put him on the best and fastest track to the league. That's why John Calipari and UK fans are so hopeful that Wall will decide that his road to the NBA will lead through Lexington.

I know some people have started to argue if Wall is really that good. It's nothing more than a defense mechanism from people who are worried that he will go to some other school than their respective favorites. Have you ever noticed how great some kid is when he's planning to go to your school, but as soon as he chooses another place, all of a sudden he's a bust? Funny how fast perspective can change.

The SLAM article also includes some very insightful quotes on Wall's ability.

Coach from a high-major college program: "Wall, he's a natural. He has a combination of speed, athleticism and skill that puts him in a unique class."

Brian Clifton, Wall's AAU coach with D-One Sports: "He's playing on a slightly different level than everyone around him. When you look at all his physical attributes and that he understands his job is to distribute the ball--there have been guys who have been as athletic as him, but not as tall, and guys as tall but not as athletic, and guys who have both, but they think their job is jacking up shots and lighting up the scoreboard. What makes John special is that he understands getting his teammates involved is what wins ballgames."

Regardless of what some jaded fans say, the consensus is very clear: John Wall is a rare, special talent. Or as I have been telling people since watching him practice and play in-person: The Kid can straight ball!

The only question remaining now is where will Wall take that talent next on his way to NBA stardom?

John Wall's Maturity Shaped By Tragedy

One of the things that stood out to me while covering the Nike Hoop Summit was that every player on the US team was a good kid. They were respectful and cordial. As I told some of the parents, it was quite refreshing, actually, considering some of the young athletes I have encountered through the years.

For some deeper perspective on the type of kid John Wall is, check out this article about him overcoming tragedy at an early age and how his HS coach has helped him mature. I should have shared this story earlier, but I simply forgot to do it.

There's no question that Wall and his mother are extremely tight due to the adversity they have faced. Some had believed that their relationship would lead Wall to end up choosing Duke in order to stay close to his mother. However, it would appear that becoming the highest possible draft pick after one season in college is most important to Wall.

If that is indeed the case, that bodes extremely well for John Calpari and Kentucky considering the success that Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans achieved in just one season in Calipari's system at Memphis.

But until a kid actually signs his letter of intent and sends it to the school, anything is possible.

John Calipari Makes Another Pitch to John Wall And Xavier Henry

I just returned to the Nike Hoop Summit team hotel after dinner with some of the crew from tonight's broadcast, and guess who I see working his recruiting magic near the lobby. That's right, John Calipari.

As I mentioned earlier, Coach Cal and other coaches were not allowed to attend tonight's game between Team USA and the World Team, but he was allowed to contact the players after the game away from the arena. A stupid rule in my opinion, but nonetheless, Cal was there doing what he does best. One would assume that he left a great impression, if only because he was first. I didn't see any other top level coaches at the hotel waiting to talk to these kids shortly before midnight.

The two players hearing Calipari's latest pitch were, of course, John Wall and Xavier Henry. Not only are they two of the top five players in the country, they were also the only players on the USA Junior National Select Team that have yet to announce where they would be attending school next fall. Both players confirmed to me during the game, however, that Kentucky was definitely a leading contender on their respective short lists.

Coincidentally, Wall and Henry were the two brightest stars for Team USA despite its 97-89 loss to the World Team. The X-Man led all U.S. scorers with 22 points, including 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point range, which tied the U.S. Hoop Summit individual record for both 3-point makes and attempts. While Wall finished with 13 points, a U.S. Hoop Summit record 11 assists and tied the steals mark with five.

UK fans can only hope Calipari's recruiting magic works on these two future NBA standouts.

Team USA Trio Could All End Up At Kentucky

I just returned to my hotel after watching the practices for this weekend's Nike Hoop Summit. I made a point to find DeMarcus Cousins and congratulate him on his recent commitment to Kentucky. He was excited to meet someone who had gone to school there.

After talking about all the positive experiences he should expect while at UK, I asked him flat out if he was going to bring some of his Team USA teammates with him to Lexington. And without blinking an eye, he said he thinks both Xavier Henry and John Wall will eventually sign with Kentucky. Neither player had told him that directly, but based on their most recent conversations, Cousins' gut feeling told him that all three would end up playing for the Cats.

A few moments later, I spoke to Henry. He told me that since he had been released from his letter-on-intent by Memphis, he now had three schools on his final list: Memphis, Kansas and Kentucky. He wouldn't say which way he was leaning, but he did say he was a huge fan of John Calipari's dribble-drive offense. In fact, he said it was Cal's system that led him to sign with Memphis in the first place, in addition to the opportunity to play with his brother CJ.

And speaking of, Henry told me that he plans to visit UK's campus shortly after he plays in the Jordan Brand Classic in New York, and he won't be alone. Both Xavier and CJ will tour the campus and the facilities together. Thus, reinforcing the idea I mentioned earlier this week. Xavier and CJ Henry will more than likely be a package deal.

By the way, PJ Carlesimo told me today that CJ is not just a throw in. The kid can play!

Finally, I got the chance to talk to John Wall. When I first asked him to name the schools on his list, he ran off about half of all the Division 1 programs. Jordan Brand Classic organizers asked Wall to have his list narrowed down to just a handful of teams by next week, but I didn't feel like waiting that long.

I got right to the point and asked him with Calipari going to Kentucky if that meant UK was a strong candidate, and he said "Definitely."

Wall went on to tell me that the reason he would be interested in playing for Calipari is because of his ability to put players on the fast track to the NBA. He mentioned Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans by name, both of whom spent only one season at Memphis before heading to the draft.

I want to reiterate that neither Henry or Wall confirmed to me that they would end up at Kentucky, but if Las Vegas was to set on a line on the chances, UK would be a good bet. I was left with the impression that playing for John Calipari was more important than the school they represent, which of course, is great news for Big Blue Nation.
Be sure and catch the game Saturday night on FSN.