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.

Don't Hate UK's Coach, Hate The NCAA's Game

From all the e-mails I have been getting lately, I guess some of the readers here at Eaves On Sports are a little upset that I haven't written anything about Kentucky lately--something I hadn't even realized. Maybe it's because this is not a UK blog, but rather a blog where I share my insight and opinions on any and all topics that interest me.

Naturally having grown up in Kentucky, UK Basketball would be one subject I would often address here--just not all the time. However, right now is one of those times.

Since President Lee Todd and Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart finally came to their senses and fired Billy Gillispie and then replaced him with John Calipari, I constantly field questions from both non-UK fans as well as UK-haters. They ask me how long will it be before Kentucky ends up on probation. Some in jest. Others sincere.

I understand why some people might ask such questions considering that the NCAA struck Calipari's run with U Mass to the 1996 Final Four from the official records after it was discovered that Marcus Camby received improper benefits while playing for the Minutemen. However, it's very important to note that the NCAA declared that Calipari was never involved or responsible for the infractions.

That statement of fact, however, does not stop some from labeling Calipari a "dirty coach," a topic foxsports.com columnist Jason Whitlock addressed in a March 31st column. Here's an excerpt.

Coach Cal's rep is that he plays loosey-goosey with the NCAA rulebook. He recruits prep-school kids, late-academic qualifiers and he's not above giving a dad (Milt Wagner) a job or an AAU coach a speaking engagement in order to land a program-maker.

Some sports writers I respect consider Coach Cal a "dirty coach."

I consider him a damn good one. And given the NCAA's insistence on holding onto an outdated rulebook and an immoral/hypocritical concept of amateurism, I believe Calipari's ethics are beyond question.

I agree. I know for a fact that Calipari has the best of intentions when dealing with kids. He obviously has a vested interest in getting the best of the best to play for his teams, but he is also sincerely concerned about their ultimate well-being, whether they play professionally or not.

Does he utilize the boundaries of NCAA rules to his advantage? Of course! And he better, if he wants to keep up with the other top coaches in the country--Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun, Ben Howland, etc--who use the same practice.

So rest assured UK fans, Calipari is going to work as hard, if not harder, than any coach in America to make sure Kentucky is always challenging for national championships, but he won't do it at the expense of the program and/or his career.

Coach K On Kobe: A Unique Competitor

I remember the first time I interviewed Kobe on live television following a Lakers game. I had just started at FOX Sports West, and I was reporting from the Lakers locker room following a win.

Kobe was wearing a blue and white Nike sweat suit, which I referenced at the end of the interview. I said something to the effect of "If you had gone to college, those Kentucky colors would have looked great on you." It was, of course, a direct reference to my alma mater.

Without hesitation Kobe responds, "Yeah, these Duke colors are nice."

Even in jest, Kobe hit me with the harshest of stingers on live tv. Welcome to LA, Michael.

I recall that story because I recently read some excerpts from Mike Krzyzewski's new book, "The Gold Standard," which is set to hit stores on May 4th.

If he had not decided to enter the NBA Draft following his senior season at Lower Merion High School, Kobe planned to take his talents to Duke and play for Coach K.

Their paths almost crossed again in 2004, after the Lakers did not renew Phil Jackson's contract. Kobe made it clear to Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak that he favored Krzyzewski to be the Lakers next coach. It turned out, however, that Coach K was not ready to leave Duke.

It wasn't until last year's Olympics that Kobe could finally see what it was like to play for Krzyzewski, but it may have been Coach K who was most looking forward to this union made in basketball.

"In finally getting my opportunity to coach Kobe Bryant, I found that he is who I thought he was," Krzyzewski writes in his new memoir.

"One of the most talented basketball players in the history of the game and the unique kind of competitor that may come around only once in a leader's lifetime."

To read more of Krzyzewski's takes on Kobe before the book comes out, check out Ramona Shelburne's article in the LA Daily News.