As we move closer and closer toward the Memorial Day holiday and the NBA Draft, there is a lot of John Wall talk and a lot of Calipari to (fill in that NBA team) talk.  A month or so from now, most of that will have subsided.  By mid-July, it should be just a memory.

The news follows the jump.

• John Calipari defends the recruitment of Terrence Jones - The Dagger - NCAAB  - Yahoo! Sports

  If Calipari's version of the story is accurate, then even the most ardent Washington fan shouldn't complain about Kentucky's pursuit of Jones. If Calipari initiated contact with Jones or pursued him more aggressively than he's letting on, however, then go ahead and criticize him as long as you're also willing to admit that his actions are no worse than what most of his peers do as well.

  I think that's right.

• John Calipari talks about his friendship with LeBron James - Page 2 - ESPN

  John Calipari:

  "What I have said is that I am going to be coaching at Kentucky and I will be at Kentucky next year. I am not out looking for jobs. I have got, in my opinion, the best job in the country. We are No. 1 in attendance. Our radio show post-game has 9,000 people. So our radio show ranks in the top 30 in attendance vs. other people's games."

  When you look at it like that, how could he ever leave?

• Kentucky Blog - University of Kentucky Official Athletic Site
  The University of Kentucky Official Athletic Site, partner of CSTV Networks, Inc. The most comprehensive coverage of University of Kentucky Athletics on the web.

• President Obama Gives John Wall A Big Shout Out

  I am fine with Wall going to Washington.  It should be fun for him.

• Calipari's Wildcats posted 2.18 GPA this spring, well below Kentucky average | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

  The University of Kentucky men's basketball team showed improvement in the classroom in the spring semester, but its cumulative grade-point average still was well behind the overall average for UK student-athletes.

  Men's basketball needs to to better, but I am encouraged by the improvement as small as it was.

• Rajon Rondo's Hall of Fame Induction Speech - WEEI | Jerry Thornton
  Heh.

• Lorenzo Romar speaks about Kentucky - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

  In an interview with 710 ESPN Seattle on Friday, Romar didn't use the opportunity to criticize John Calipari. Rather, he compared Jones to a groom at the altar with "cold feet" and reiterated that Kanter had not yet achieved a qualifying test score at the time of his commitment.

  Romar is a classy guy, and I have nothing but respect for him.

• LEX18 | Lexington, KY | News, Weather, Sports, Kentucky | Calipari Talks About His Mother's Battle With Cancer, Grades And Recruiting

  John Calipari addressed true blue fans Tuesday on his website, asking them to pray for his mother, Donna, who is battling cancer.

  I hope and pray Coach Cal's mom will recover, and be well.

• Dime #57: Do The John Wall | Dime Magazine (dimemag.com) : Daily NBA News, NBA Trades, NBA Rumors, Basketball Videos, Sneakers

  All due respect to Ohio State’s Evan Turner, who dutifully pointed out during last week’s Chicago pre-draft combine that he won all the National Player of the Year trophies, but John Wall was the biggest story in college basketball this season.

  Yep.  Evan Turner is a great player, but he is no John Wall.

• Calipari discusses relationship with LeBron, denies interest in NBA job

  "I mean I can't stop the speculation. LeBron and I are friends. That is what we are, but I have other players in the league that I have coached, I mean eight or 10 of them," Calipari said. "So I don't know all of a sudden this became LeBron and Cal, and how that started. But obviously I am not going to answer everything that is thrown, and all of the speculation. I just said that 'Hey, I am going to be at Kentucky.'"

  That's about as unambiguous as it gets.

• Heart of the case: Did Smith offer a job? | StarTribune.com

  Smith testified for seven hours over two days. The coach showed a flash of controlled anger when Mark asked if he had a duty to people who rely on what he says.

  "They have an obligation to me to give me the full facts. That is what he had an obligation to do," Smith said, pointing at Williams.

  Mark pressed Smith, "You're telling the jury you didn't have the full facts?" Smith said, "That's exactly right."

  This case is getting interesting.

• Bruce Pearl: Florida will be 'by far the most talented team in the SEC' - Campus Rivalry: College Football & Basketball News, Recruiting, Game Picks, and More - USATODAY.com

  "Billy Donovan has had several years of really, really good recruiting,'' Pearl said, according to Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News Sentinel. "They will be by far the most talented team in the SEC.''

  Heh.  Hey, Brucie -- get a clue.  They may be the best, but they most certainly will not be the most talented.

• Calipari talks about Terrence Jones - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

  The Washington Huskies and the Kentucky Wildcats may never form a rivalry, per se; there's a distinct lack of proximity standing in the way. But Washington fans will certainly feel the type enmity toward Kentucky coach John Calipari that most programs reserve for their most-hated rivals. All thanks, of course, to Terrence Jones.

  Meh.  I suppose.  Get in line, UW fans, there are a lot of people there ahead of you.

• ROPRT - Roseburg, OR - One on one with Jeff Goodman, Fox Sports
  Jeff Goodman says the Kenny Payne deal is all but done.