John Wall Picks ‘Cats Over Canes

The nation's best basketball player will kill time at Kentucky -- not Miami -- before the NBA

Well, it was as a good a shot as Frank Haith could have asked for, excepting a Jack McClinton jumper: John Wall, the nation's no. 1 recruit, will not attend the University of Miami next year.

Brian Clifton, Wall's advisor, has confirmed media reports that Wall will join new coach John Calipari at Kentucky, despite the Wildcats' signing of several other point guards and a large spotlight waiting in Miami. “We had an at-length conversation last night,” said Clifton, who coaches Wall's AAU team. “He felt that the risks that were at Kentucky were acceptable risks for him.”

While Wall would have been an early Christmas gift to Hurricanes coach Frank Haith, Miami didn't make out too badly in the whole affair.  There was certainly some great publicity as Wall not only sang Miami's praises following his trip to Coral Gables, but took his sweet time in declaring a school -- placing Miami on equal footing with a storied Kentucky program, if only for a little while.

And Miami will be alright: Wall is only expected to play one year of college ball before bolting for the NBA, so Miami's post-McClinton game plan didn't hinge on his availability.  Haith is increasingly involved in conversations for top recruits, which is an encouraging sign, and his next class -- which includes fellow five-star prospect Durand Scott -- is one of the school's best ever and ranked in the top 20 by Rivals. Haith will probably just have a bowl of ice cream, watch a Kate Hudson movie, and be right as rain.

Next year's Kentucky team, however, is assembling much like a sort of evil Transformer with a deadly crossover, and Calipari is proving to be downright fearsome.  Wall is the fourth five-star recruit he's convinced to attend Kentucky since being hired away from Memphis not even two months ago. 

But if we may, a selection method for future prospects torn between Miami and another school: mascot rochambeau.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us