John Wall

Georgia coach Mark Fox gave Kentucky freshman point guard Brandon Knight a big compliment Monday on the Southeastern Conference teleconference. “Brandon Knight is terrific, absolutely terrific. I think he is a better player in the halfcourt than John Wall was (last year),” Fox said. Wall was an all-American at UK last year and No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. “I think he is just a dynamite player. He is really good. I mean he is really, really good. There is nothing he can’t do,” Fox said.

LEXINGTON - John Wall was one of the top rookies in the NBA last season after the Washington Wizards made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft following his freshman season at the University of Kentucky. He averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 assists and 4.6 assists per game despite battling injuries part of the season. Now he's fully recovered and during a recent charity game in Winston-Salem, N.C., he tossed a ball off the wall and dunked, whirled the ball behind his back for another jam and did a two-handed 360-degree dunk.

Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News was the first to tell me in September that he thought Kentucky had the most talented team in the country and that John Wall was the main reason. Nothing has changed DeCourcy's mind, and he even noted that John Wall is "greatest point guard athlete ever" after watching him play against North Carolina. "In 25 years, if you are a fan of college basketball, you will be seeing highlights of the time Wall drove on a fast break, got himself too deep under the backboard, and solved that problem by gliding to the opposite side and scooping in a layup past Carolina's Marcus Ginyard.

LEXINGTON ? He was considered the nation's No. 1 prep player last year by many and has been projected not only as a potential College Player of the Year, but even as the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Yet Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall can't wait to play against No. 10 North Carolina Saturday in Rupp Arena. "I think we all like the big challenges and big games. None of the teams we have played have been easy, but you can't wait to play against a big-name team like a North Carolina," said Wall, who had 14 assists in Monday's win over UNC-Asheville.

LEXINGTON ? Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall came into this season already being projected as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft and was even tabbed as the national player of the year by some. However, even though he has played well for Kentucky, Wall has already learned one important lesson. "It seems like every team we play against sees Kentucky on our chest and they really get after us and keep playing and playing. Guys are coming out and making shots and we have to get better on defense because they all want to beat Kentucky so bad," said Wall.

Advocate-Messenger Sports Editor Larry Vaught begins a series of get-to-know-you articles on his blog, www.vaughtsviews.com, tonight with prize University of Kentucky basketball recruit John Wall. The first installment is online now; more will follow.

LEXINGTON ? Kentucky found out what it could be like to have to play without John Wall ? and coach John Calipari says that probably was a good thing. After a dominating first half against North Carolina Saturday, Wall left the game early in the second half with leg cramps. He missed almost 50 percent of the second half before returning and even then was not nearly as explosive or fast. That's why North Carolina was able to cut into a 19-point deficit before losing 68-66. "We are not the same with John Wall hurt," said Calipari.

NEW YORK ? John Wall has played nine games for Kentucky. His latest was his best ? and the end of this one showed the freshman guard is as good as advertised. Wall scored a season-high 25 points, including 12 of his team's last 15, and the fourth-ranked Wildcats beat No. 14 Connecticut 64-61 on Wednesday night in the SEC/Big East Invitational. "He's phenomenal, one of the best players out there," Kentucky forward Patrick Patterson said. "If we need a crunch-time basket we give it to John and we know we are going to have the advantage.

LEXINGTON ? John Calipari didn't want to discuss the specifics on the NCAA ruling that determined freshman John Wall would have to miss Monday night's exhibition game against Campbellsville, not play in the regular season opener against Morehead and repay almost $800 for expenses his AAU coach provided. "We are moving on. It is behind us and we are getting ready for this (exhibition)," said Calipari. "The kid is a great kid, the mother is a great lady, and they have always tried to do the right thing.

The Marshall County Hoop Fest featured some of the nation's best high school talent last year and Hoop Fest director Dan Hudson is already putting together another star-laden even for Dec. 5-6-7 in Benton. “We really think we could have a special event again,” said Hudson. Kentucky recruiting target Cliff Alexander of Chicago Curry will be back to play in the event for the second straight season. The 6-9, 240-pound Alexander is ranked as the nation's second best center and No. 5 overall prospect by Scout.com.

Terrence Commodore recently was sitting around with one of his mentors when it was suggested maybe he put together a summer basketball camp featuring some of the players he got to know when he was on John Calipari's staff at Kentucky. “I have a good relationship with a lot of guys that came through Kentucky and was good friends with them,” said Commodore, a former Mason County basketball player. “I just put a concept together and ran with it. They were all pretty open to it. The main part was just scheduling and making sure who was available when.

CHICAGO - On the court, Andrew Harrison is an intense competitor - a Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Deandre Liggins type. Off the court, he's just as intense and not afraid to voice his opinion. Not only did the future Kentucky point guard say that he though the McDonald's All-American Game - he had 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting,  four assists, two rebounds and one steal in 18 minutes in Wednesday's game here - was a more prestigious event than the upcoming Jordan Brand Classic, but he's already tossing verbal barbs at Louisville.  He admitted he had picked Louisville to reach the Final Four, but then told media members, "I hope Michigan wins (the national title)

He's putting players at all position into the NBA regularly. He continues to recruit better than any coach in the nation. And he has Kentucky winning and contending for a national championship every season. John Calipari has it all going so well at Kentucky that UK fans really only have one fear - he might decide he would like a chance to coach in the NBA again. Calipari certainly has connections to the league. He was the head coach of the New Jersey Nets, is friends with LeBron James and has had two No. 1 draft picks - John Wall and Anthony Davis - in the last three years.

Jon Hood is anxious to get back on the court. In fact, he's been counting down the days to the start of preseason workouts, and Big Blue Madness can't come soon enough for Hood, who sat out last season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a pickup game last summer. From start to finish, Hood watched from the sidelines and behind the scenes as Kentucky captured its eighth national title. “I can't wait to play this year,” Hood said. “I'm anxious and ready to go. That's one of the steps toward playing (a game)

There he stood. Under a basket at Princeton University's Dillon Gymnasium. In his basketball practice uniform. Still sweating from a demanding workout. Now he caught questions, not basketballs, passed to him by the acclaimed writer John McPhee. On assignment for The New Yorker, McPhee interviewed the Princeton All-American for a long piece centered on his senior year at Princeton, a year in which he led the nation in scoring and secured a Rhodes Scholarship to study history and political science for two years at Oxford University in England.

It's no question John Calipari has put his stamp on the University of Kentucky basketball program since he arrived in Lexington on April Fool's Day in 2009. Always known as a master recruiter at the University of Massachusetts and later at the University of Memphis, Calipari lacked the experience of being a head coach at a big-time program, although he spent a short time in the professional ranks with the New Jersey Nets and as an assistant coach at the University of Kansas early in his career.

LEXINGTON - Anthony Davis came to Kentucky with big expectations, a willingness to learn and a unique perspective. He left Kentucky having exceeded expectations, still hungry to improve and with perhaps an even better perspective on life and basketball. Davis did everything he could have ever imagined - and more - during Kentucky's 38-2 national championship season. He blocked a nation-best 4.7 shots per game and set school, Southeastern Conference and NCAA freshman records for blocks in a season with 186. He led the Wildcats in scoring (14.2 points per game)

LEXINGTON - Freshman point guard Marquis Teague has had to deal with comparisons to John Wall and Brandon Knight, John Calipari's first two point guards at Kentucky, both of whom were first round NBA draft picks after their freshman seasons, but he's helped Kentucky to a 32-2 record going into Thursday's NCAA tournament opener against Western Kentucky in Louisville. He's averaging 9.4 points, 4.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. Several media members who cover Kentucky offered their opinions on his play this season: Mike Pratt, UK radio network.