John Wall Update

Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog is reporting that Wall has narrowed his list of schools to Miami and Kentucky. From ZagsBlog:

John Wall is down to two schools — Kentucky and Miami — according to multiple sources close to the situation.

“It’s down to the two of them, no question about it,” one source said. “It is Kentucky and Miami. The kid is leaning toward Kentucky. There is a little bit of a concern with the people closest to him that if he goes to Kentucky that they’re going to lose control.”

Said a second source at one of the schools: “That’s what we’re hearing.”

The John Wall saga continues.
(photo credit: examiner.com)

But if you are a Hurricane or Wildcat fan, don't start celebrating too soon. According to Evan Daniels of Scout.com, Zagoria is incorrect in saying that Wall has cut his list down to two school. From Jeff Goodman's blog:

"I spoke with John on Sunday and said he hasn’t narrowed his list,” Daniels said. "On Tuesday afternoon, I spoke with Brian Clifton (Wall’s AAU coach and advisor) and he reiterated that John is still considering more than two schools at this time.”

Wall's camp has yet to officially reduce the number of schools on his list (currently seven - Kentucky, Miami, Duke, NC State, Baylor, Florida, and Memphis), but Brian Clifton, Wall's "handler, told SI.com's Luke Winn that it would be "accurate" to assume that Wall was basically down to three schools - Miami, Kentucky, and Duke.

If seeing Miami on this list strikes you as weird, don't worry. It is. But according to High School Hoop, Wall went to visit Miami, and loved it.

Of these three schools, Miami would probably benefit the most from Wall's commitment. They are losing four key cogs in their rotation - Brian Asbury, Jimmy Graham, and their starting back court of Lance Hurdle and Jack McClinton. But with Dwayne Collins (who declared for the draft but will more than likely withdraw), James Dews, and DeQuan Jones returning, Malcolm Grant (a Villanova transfer) becoming eligible, and incoming freshman Durand Scott (a top 50 recruit that led his Rice HS team to a NYC city title over Lance Stephenson's Lincoln squad), the 'Canes already have a solid core of players. Add Wall to the mix, and the U will be right up there with Duke and UNC as pre-season favorites in the ACC.

Wall would also be a huge signing for the Blue Devils, who would immediately become national title contenders by mixing him with Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Elliot Williams. According to some outlets, this is where Clifton wants Wall to go, simply because he wants to be Wall's agent once he goes pro, and Durham would be where the talented youngster is the most insulated from agents and runners.

Ironically, the coach school where everyone had all but penciled Wall in (Coach Cal at Memphis/Kentucky) is probably the team that needs Wall's services the least. They just recently signed Eric Bledsoe, a highly recruited point guard in his own right.