Kentucky Basketball: The Unforgettable John Wall
by Glenn Logan on Apr 23, 2010 8:46 AM EDT
in Commentary
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PrintWe knew that John Wall was only going to be in Lexington one year. We knew he would almost certainly be a very good player. What we did not know is that he would find a way to make off with the hearts of every fan in the Big Blue Nation.
Hype. We heard it. We maybe even believed most of it. But for once, and that once comes along very rarely, the hype turned out not to be. Instead, the hype was just a premonition of reality.
When Wall came to Lexington, it was amongst much fanfare. Everyone had heard of him, everyone knew the stories about his breathtaking speed with the ball, his leaping ability, his great passing skills and astonishing ability to finish plays. We had heard the stories that he got into a bit of trouble as he was finishing his fifth year at Word of God Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he was cited for trespassing for wandering through the open door of an empty house. Some had doubts about his ability and his character.
"Just another player using college as a temporary stopover to the NBA," the critics said. Just another one-and-done staining the reputation of the amateur game, hurting the academic reputation of whatever college he goes to. We heard all those things as well as the hype. They were all wrong.
The hallmark of true greatness is making the spectacular look ordinary. Tiger Woods, moral turpitude aside, is such a talent. Woods makes golf look so easy a child could do it. John Wall did that, too. He made the wickedest, ankle-breaking crossover look effortless, the one-man fast break look like a normal state of affairs, and the lane penetration and kick out the easiest thing in the world.
Wall made college basketball at its highest level look so easy that we began to take him for granted, some wondering if DeMarcus Cousins was actually better. Few realized it was Wall who contributed mightily to Cousins' rise, as well as the rise of Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton. There is no doubt that without Wall, the rest of UK's "one and dones" would not be as highly thought of after one year as they are now.
Wall made it look easy in the classroom, too. He famously came out of summer school with a 4.0 average, then backed that up with a 3.0 his first semester. Leadership? No problem for Wall. By the end of the year, he had long since taken over the team from junior Patrick Patterson and made it his, an extension of coach John Calipari's will on the floor.
Yesterday, when Wall announced his intention to leave Kentucky and go to the NBA, he did it again. No fumbling, bumbling news conference of three or four words per sentence, no sir. Wall dressed to impress, was eloquent and emotional when he announced his leave-taking, but did not descend into tears or other demonstrations. His feelings were clear on his face, from the touching way he described "crying" when he watched video of the Wildcats after the season to the determined vow to attend school every summer until he achieved his diploma.
John Wall made it clear that he did not want to leave what had become the greatest experience of his life -- college basketball at Kentucky. But he said he had matured a lot this year, and that maturity showed through in his decision to move on. He owes that to his mother and his family, and to himself. Education is extremely important, but in the world of athletics, there are times that formal education must wait a bit.
The legend of John Wall will remember his spectacular 94-foot sprint to a game-winning jump shot in his very first game at Kentucky that counted. It will remember his otherworldly one-man fast break against the North Carolina Tar Heels where he spotted two Heels 15 feet and blew past them like their feet were shod in lead, to finish thunderously with two hands while his would-be defenders looked helplessly on. That play will live forever in Kentucky lore, as it displayed an athletic talent that is hard to imagine, and that may not now exist even in the NBA.
Who can forget the game-winning block versus the Vanderbilt Commodores, a play requiring every element of determination and skill that can be measured in an athletic endeavor, as well as the intelligence and confidence to know he could pull it off without sending John Jenkins, a deadly shooter, to the line. Then, there was the remarkable mid-court steal versus the Connecticut Huskies, all the great passes Wall made to everyone on the team, and the one thing that was always constant -- the winning, happy smile of a young man who was doing what he loves, and living in the moment.
Perhaps no player at Kentucky has ever been less distracted by events surrounding him -- the hype, the reporters, the fans, the rigors of academics -- than John Wall. None of these things seemed to faze him in the least. He attacked every one of them with a quick smile and the single-minded determination that makes them look easy. Even Big Blue Madness was easy for Wall, where he first performed the John Wall Dance that quickly became a part of the Zeitgeist of college basketball.
I can't help but feel a pang of regret for all the future Wildcat fans that will not have been able to experience Wall's single season as it happened. Every game he seemed to do something ever more spectacular, either athletically or as a combination of skill and athleticism. Sure, we will all get to watch him in the NBA, but that is such a different game from college that it will rarely recall what we have witnessed this year.
But no one who saw John Wall play for Kentucky will ever forget him. If Patrick Patterson is the player who brought Kentucky back from irrelevance, Wall is the player who put the swagger back in Kentucky basketball, and he did it in such an unassuming, natural way that nobody ever once accused him of showboating or acting out.
Wall said at his press conference yesterday, "I hope (UK fans) remember me for the rest of my life." That's something, John, I can absolutely guarantee.
I won't let them forget.
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amen
Wall was a great kid to have around. He belied the “one and done” stereotype. We’ll miss him.
as great as he was on the court...
he was even greater off the court – if that is possible.
i believe i watched every minute of every game for the first time in my life and wall was a big part of the reason. every game he seemed to do something different that was equally astonishing.
and at the end of the day, he seemed like a normal college kid. i know of no other way to say it – one of the guys just hanging out in college who happened to play some hoops…
what a year. just glad my kids are old enough to remember it as they will for a long, long time…
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Apr 23, 2010 9:09 AM EDT reply actions
A fitting tribute
to the most exciting college player I have ever watched. But as you point out, the greatest attribute he possesses is his great character and spirit so evident in how he conducted himself off the court and on. His smile was infectious, and revealed just how much fun he was having playing the game, and how much fun he knew we had watching him play.
Great piece-
Many wonderful memories of a great player, and seemingly, a better person. I’ll never forget his falling to the left three, at the end of the game, against Miss. State. I am thrilled that I got to see him play at the SEC tournament. His picture is in Websters, next to “one man fast break”
"You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't"
And the
late game takeovers versus multiple teams, where he would run over 2, 3 and 4 guys in the lane to finish with a layup. Dude made our season.
JW was great on and off the court and while we
all want him to stay….we all know it’s in his best interest to take the next step!! JW thanks and good luck!!
You can't fix "stupid"!
We may have all been witness to history in the making.....
And it was GOOD!!!!
I AM THE CAT......The Cat In The Hat!!!
Great post, Tru!
Got me all bleary-eyed again. I am gonna miss John Wall sooooo much. :(
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Apr 23, 2010 9:49 AM EDT reply actions
JW was a pleasure to watch and cheer for.
He has handled himself with incredible poise and class.
I wondered about him during the recruiting process and his constant waiting. He seemed to be seeking attention. I long ago threw that impression aside. He has been as perfect a representative of UK as possible since — PPat.
Wall Photos.
I recently ran across a fanpost on the New Jersey Nets blog NetsDaily that included some really great pictures of John Wall.
The author of the fanpost is enamored with John Wall (and quite understandably so) and points out all the reasons “Why John Wall is the #1 pick” in the upcoming draft, but more importantly, and what I found to be so fabulous and the main reason I am posting this, was because of the collection of John Wall photos throughout last season that he included in his post. I found the pictures (and captions, too, btw) to be really awesome and I thought that the pictures in that fanpost would go nicely with this wonderful feature piece of Tru’s.
Check out the photos if you have a few minutes. They are great and they bring back marvelous memories of John Wall in a UK uniform. : )
Nice link BSC
Nice post for someone who isn’t a UK fan, oops my bad, it says he is. It matters not if he is a life long fan or a brand new fan. I think we picked up a few new ones this year. The captions even have links too. John is quite marvelous and will be a great NBA player.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
yeah,
I’m not too sure about the author’s UK fandom thing either as he does not seem to care for Calipari, but hey, anybody who goes to as much work as he apparently did with that post in order to metaphorically “sing the praises” of John Wall gets an atta boy from me. And besides, it’s like kentuckyrules mentions below, I fully expect to become a fan of and follow whichever team drafts Wall (and Patterson, and Cousins, and Orton, for that matter) so I’m not about to cast any stones. : )
Oh, and Tru,
in case I didn’t say it loud and clear above, great stuff here. Marvelous, darling, simply marvelous. ; )
Does not seem to care for Calipari
I dunno… I’m willing to cut a New Jersey Nets fan some slack if he doesn’t like the guy they had to fire ten years ago.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
by chirop1 on Apr 23, 2010 2:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
ha ha.
yeah, Nets fans are probably still pissed at Cal for passing on Kobe. : )
But really, like I said, I couldn’t care less about the author’s UK fandom as I’m not ever into calling out fans.
I thought he did a knockout job on the Wall fanpost, so he totally gets a cookie from me. : )
Great tribute Tru
When you think about it, there are 3 types of fans. There are those who want to be like their older brother (young) , those who are around the same age (students and the like who see players as close brothers) and then there are us seasoned fans (the majority, I think) who see the players as our children and we embrace them with our Blue craziness, (just our way of showing them we really care). Bottom line, they become part of a family. Maybe that is why they loved us more than than thought they would.
We understand that we must let them go into the real world (some are ready quick), but we never stop loving them and wanting them to do well in all areas of their lives. Thankfully, John has given all 3 types of UK fans a lot to remember. We will never forget.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Thank you very much.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Apr 23, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks Tru for a very well written piece - I think you touched all of the bases.
Even with the new crop of recruits on the horizon, no one will soon forget the talent and ability of Mr. Wall. The University of Kentucky could not have asked for a more honorable representative of the scool …. through it all, wins or losses, he always kept his head held high. He will be an excellent pro … some team/fan base will be getting a real prize.
P.S. It should be noted that his presence on this campus will continue to pay dividends long after he has left….. Thanks JW …..
Thanks.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Apr 23, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
My thoughts exactly!
It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
by kentuckygirl0724 on Apr 23, 2010 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions
In cause Tru isn't around
here is a link for PPat’s presser. Streaming now, waiting on him.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
He definitely was
great for us and will be great in the NBA. I don’t remember any player for UK that you could watch at the end of a game that was ready, willing AND able to simply will a come from behind victory. Amazing is not sufficient to describe his play and the effect he’s had on our program.
You have obviously written many great pieces,
but this one is my favorite. I could not say it any better if I set out all day to try and do so.
All of these guys coming in are going to be great, and we are going to have a lot of fun next season, but there is really and truly only one “John Wall”. It may take a little time to adjust our eyes next year to watching a team of great players from planet earth. John Wall was from somewhere else.
-- Tim . http://HomeSalesLexington.com/barn
Thanks.
John Wall has been great for us. No doubt.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Great write Tru
I’m a little late to the party because of other things. Google News have your story as headline as it should be. I don’t think we will ever see the likes of one young man leave his stamp on this program ever again. I’ve live through over 60 of cat seasons and He changed the program from the beginning. As a long time NBA fan I will add another team to my watching list unless I am lucky enough to land him on the Suns!
Happy Days are here again The sky is all ways BLUE again Happy days are here again !
Cal's going to have a hard time watching...
live games of all his former players in the NBA in a couple years. There will be so many, he won’t be able to keep up. LOL!
Isn't it nice that two of my favorite memories are vs UNC?
John’s earlier mentioned dunk this year, and Tayshan’s 3-pointer outburst. (It can only get better if those were Duke).
The First Disciple
If John Calipari was/is the messiah of UK BB — didn’t quite raise it from the dead but did lift it from the limbo of irrelevance, so who can argue against it? — then John Wall is the first disciple. And like good disciples everywhere he not only followed in the path of the master but proselytized the DDMO faith to other aspirants and, lo, the others came (Demarcus, Eric, and Daniel) and are still coming (Stacey, Brandon, Enes, Michael and Marquis). In a nation of fervent believers — yea, even worshipers — the religious metaphor is not misplaced. Alas, as disciples are often called on to do John, for the purpose of further self-realization must leave behind this pleasant and rewarding place for new challenges and new opportunities for spreading the word: The Blue is risen! John leaves behind a congregation of those who witnessed a miraculous blend of sheer physical talent, humble demeanor and great works, and those that remain shall remember his contributions and relate the exploits for years to come. John Wall, perhaps he should change his name to Peter.
"Perhaps the fact that we have seen millions voting themselves into complete dependence on a tyrant has made our generation understand that to choose one's government is not necessarily to secure freedom" - Hayek
UK Basketball Was Similarly "Irrelevant" In The 1960's And Early 1970's
Integration of Div I basketball left UK in Lucky Sullivan (thoroughbred horse, Google it) territory, naming lagging far behind the leaders – UCLA, Cincinnati, et al.
JOE HALL was a messiah in a different way. He fully integrated the UK basketball program, paving the way for relevance again in 1975.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 24, 2010 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions
At Least UK Reached
The Final Four in those decades — certainly an accepted measure of relevancy.
"Perhaps the fact that we have seen millions voting themselves into complete dependence on a tyrant has made our generation understand that to choose one's government is not necessarily to secure freedom" - Hayek
Sorry But George Mason Made FF In 2000's
Did it make them relevant?
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 25, 2010 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Using George Mason
As an analogy for relevance is as useless as, well, as useless as Minnesota.
"Perhaps the fact that we have seen millions voting themselves into complete dependence on a tyrant has made our generation understand that to choose one's government is not necessarily to secure freedom" - Hayek
Minnesota Comment Is A Non Sequitur
Integration left UK in the lurch from 1960 until 1975.
Joe Hall saved UK from mediocrity. He developed a national recruiting program in 1966 and convinced African-Americans to overlook UK’s past and sign with the Cats.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 25, 2010 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions
George Mason was in a field of 64
In the years you talked about the field was much smaller. Would George Mason have even made the tournament? I think not.
"all the way"
Forty, I agree with you that I would have liked
to have seen integration come sooner to the SEC than when Perry Wallace went to Vandy. I also agree that expansion of the talent pool resulted in some good UK teams in the mid-70s. Joe Hall doesn’t get enough credit for what he did.
I don’t think, however, that 71-13, one Sweet Sixteen and two Elite Eights (in today’s terms) during the Issel years was irrelevant. Nor was the 27-2 ‘65-’66 team. The 66-67 season was surely not good, and that team’s record was repeated once by Coach Hall, but Issel, Pratt, and Casey led a significant rebound the next year.
Certainly the early 60s weren’t up to UK’s traditional standards, but the last half of the decade through ‘70 weren’t too bad in a win-loss framework.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . .who spends himself for a worthy cause . . ."
Look At UK Results In NCAA Tourney In 1960's
Below .500 record and missed the tourney in1960, 1963, and 1967 altogether.
Most of the regular season W in the 1960’s came against segregated teams. Integrated teams beat UK pretty often in the NCAA tourney then.
Hall took integrating the program seriously and restored UK to relevance in the 1970’s.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 25, 2010 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Link
http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/gamencaa.html
After 1958 NC, UK had subpar W-L record in NCAA. After 1959 L to Louisville, every L was to an inegrated team.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 25, 2010 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Excuse me, did I not say pretty much the same thing
you did? You quote three and four percentage point differences in coaches’ records when it serves your purposes, but, in trying to make your point about integration, resort to something other than W-L records. Look at my first and second sentences. I agreed with you about integration. I just disagree, using your normal criteria, about the late 60s when Issel and company were at UK. And I disagree about the 65-66 team which beat some fine integrated teams, including Cazzie Russell’s Michigan squad, in the process of going to the NC game.
I’m very familiar with Jon Scott’s site and with UK’s record in the 60s. That’s where I got my data, and that’s when I was in school there.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . .who spends himself for a worthy cause . . ."
Looks like
a little revisionism going on to me.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
No, Just Facts
UK in the the 15 year timeframe (1960 through 1974) achieved much than it did in the prior 15 year timeframe (1945 through 1959).
The W-L (%) record dropped off by more than 10% and NCAA achievements were much less.
4 NCAA titles in the latter 15 years. 0 NCAA titles (just 1 FF) in the former.
UK still had considerable talent in the 60’s and early 70’s but integrated teams beat UK much more often than previously.
Integration (not lack of talent) was the reason for the big dropoff.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 26, 2010 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Typo, Sorry
“…achieved much LESS…” in first sentence.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 26, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
I do not think
you can make a case for that conclusion. Look at the 10 years preceding Calipari and you see a drop off as well and you can’t argue that integration was a factor there.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Compare 1945 Thru 1959 To 1960 Thru 1974
The numbers are stark.
2000 thru 2009, compared to 1990 thru 1999, the drop-off is not as HUGE as the timeframes I listed above.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 26, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
More Or Less
UK was #1 program in the nation in 1940’s and 1950’s. W-L (%) record well into mid 80% range. NCAA W-L (%) record was 21-7 (75%) then.
But W-L (%) dropped into low 70’s (%) for 1960 through 1974 timeframe and NCAA W-L record was only 10-12 then.
I see a BIG dropoff. More than 10% both overall and in NCAA games. UK was slow to integrate and its results suffered accordingly.
The 66 team did beat Michigan. Dayton was mostly white and Duke was all white.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 26, 2010 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Forty, have you seen the DVD on Rupp and UK integration
done by the Lexington reporter? I don’t argue that UK wasn’t “slow to integrate”, but, based on first-person interviews in that DVD, it was not because Rupp didn’t try to integrate. As you point out, Duke was all-white. So was every other team anywhere in the south. It wasn’t just UK.
How good could the ‘67 team have been if Rupp had just lied to Unseld and Beard’s parents and guaranteed them that he could protect their sons in trips to Tuscaloosa, Starkville, etc. (again, ref the DVD)? Based on interviews with those two, Rupp’s refusal to guarantee anything in those hostile arenas was a big factor in Louisville getting those successive Mr. Ky Basketballs.
My main point (see my first comment) is that the Issel years were not ones of irrelevancy for UK. Losing in regional finals wasn’t a first for UK or any other team.
There is absolutely no doubt that the early ‘60s were a bad period, and so was ’67, and much of the reason was the integration of UK’s OOC opposition. But the ‘66 through 70 classes had 79.8 percent wins, even with the 13-13 season, which largely resulted from my freshman team’s inability to replace Kron and Conley.
Phil Argento was a nice guy and a decent player (don’t quote his freshman scoring records to me unless you want to hear about the 1-3-1 offense Harry Lancaster put in for Bobby Hiles and Phil to get virtually all the shots), but he simply was not the quality of Kron and Conley.
Had the freshman eligibility rule been enacted that year, there is a great likelihood that the ’67 record would have been more on the order of 22-7 or or better with a loss either in the NCAA regions or FF. The starting lineup likely would have been Riley, Issel, Casey, Dampier, and either Jaracz or Pratt.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . .who spends himself for a worthy cause . . ."
"much of the reason" refers to '67 team.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . .who spends himself for a worthy cause . . ."
No Doubt UK Tried To Integrate The Program
But only Hall got the job done. He deserves HUGE kudos for that.
by FortyYearCatFan on Apr 26, 2010 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions
we will NEVER forget you, John!!!
i just hope John knows and feels the love, respect and gratitude we have for him!!!…we are the fortunate ones to be able to remember a young man as such is so rare of a gem, we’ll be impressed for years to come…if BBN was able to give the Master John Wall anything that he may remember and hold close…i am very, very happy!!!…please come back to see us and let us see you again…i will and the BBN will love you forever!!!…thank you!!!
"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as much as you please."...Mark Twain.
And catch him
at the Craft Center in what will be some incredible pick-up games. I’m one that would love to have tickets to summer games there in the coming years.
THE WALL
WOW—WOW—WOW
I do not think (I know I have not) that I have ever oooooood and aaaaaaad so much watching a player do his thing. Well, collegient, (Mikei in the PROS). Then we come to the young man himself—- a caring person, a fun guy (who can do a little dance too), smiles, bright eyes and Speed——OH THE SPEED!!!!!!!!! And SMART—SMART—SMART!!! John you WILL be remembered (who the heck could forget you) you brought OUR CATS back to life. We knew it would happen, but we questioned when and who could put that fuzzy warm spot back in our hearts. SON, YOU WILL BE MISSED——let us know when you visit and so we can throw a P-A-R-T-Y!!!!!!!!! We’ll let you go, so you can show the rest of the world what you can do!
God bless you and a BIG THANK YOU!!!!!!
As a little, but thankful side piece——-Tru—Ken—ABC you guys do a GREAT JOB. SOB is THANKFUL for your hard word that makes so GREAT!!
by kentuckystrong on Apr 25, 2010 10:34 AM EDT reply actions
Thanks very much.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Apr 25, 2010 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions
While I constantly complained about Wall's cavalier attitude toward protecting the ball
Even I recognise that he was an outstanding player, even as an underclassman. I would have loved to see his game develop further at UK, particularly in regards to decision making and bad shots.
"all the way"
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