John Wall

I went to a New England prep school for one year that accepted 5th year students, I can say they weren't all a bunch of morons and the school had very high academic standards where just carrying a 3.0 would get you into some rather prestigious schools. I don't really think the basketball academies that accept 5th year seniors meet the same standards, but that doesn't automatically make you an idiot just for going. If he is turning 19 after graduation that would make him one of the younger students in his original graduating class and its not unusual for elite athletes to be on the older end of their graduating classes. Many top NCAA athletes are 19 or 20 their freshmen year.

eta: FWiW we called 5th year students "Post Grads".
 
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Well, this is different.

This would make me feel a little better with a top 4 pick .. especially if we get stuck at 3 or 4. However, it takes a lot to not graduate high school .. im hoping he did this on purpose as a possible work around like what jennings pulled last year and didnt just flunk out of school.

The thing is, if he is a 5th year senior he could have been in college THIS year and be eligible in the draft anyways, so somethings fishy here..

Also, I believe he signed a letter of intent to go to Memphis .. or at least he was planning to before Calipari left for Kentucky.. Im assuming you get accepted to the school before you have the ability to sign a letter of intent, so I dont see how getting into college would be a problem.
 
He went to 4 years of local high school and then spent this past year at Word of God Prep in North Carolina. This school is an aspiring basketball factory and John Wall has put them on the map. Since they are not a public school they can recruit players from all over the country to play their last 2 years there, schedule the top teams in the country and play in the best 4-school tournaments, etc.
 
In the 2010 Mock Draft on nbadraft.net, John Wall is listed as #1 pick while Rubio is listed as #2.

http://www.nbadraft.net/2010mock_draft


So some people are rating him higher than Rubio. If they both end up in the 2009 draft, then the Kings will be in a good situation.


Although given our position, and the presence of both Rubio and Jenkins already in the draft, maybe it might be better to save Wall for next year's draft and maybe get two shots at the apple?
 
In the 2010 Mock Draft on nbadraft.net, John Wall is listed as #1 pick while Rubio is listed as #2.

http://www.nbadraft.net/2010mock_draft


So some people are rating him higher than Rubio. If they both end up in the 2009 draft, then the Kings will be in a good situation.

Considering both players are very young and are really unknown as far as how they will perform in the NBA, that order makes sense to me. Wall can do things Rubio will never be able to do just because he is a superior athlete.
 

The way I read this excerpt from the above link would suggest to me that Wall will probably not be eligible:

"The player is or will be at least 19 years of age during the calendar year in which the Draft is held, and with respect to a player who is not an international player, at least one NBA Season has elapsed since the player's graduation from high school (or, if the player did not graduate from high school, since the graduation of the class with which the player would have graduated had he graduated from high school)" -- Article X, Section 1(b)(i).

Everybody is keying in on the fact that Wall's contemporary high school class graduated last year. However, draft eligibility based on high school year is also contingent upon what I bolded -- if Wall gets a diploma this year then he DID graduate high school, and would have to wait another year.

I suppose it's possible that Wall could refuse a diploma from Word of God Prep, or maybe they would not intend to award him one, in which case he might be eligible, but the league could very well rule that "the class with which the player would have graduated" would be the Word of God Prep class. In this case, because he was still technically in high school, his second senior class would supersede his first senior class as his expected graduating class.
 
I didn't see the us v world game but I haven't been too overly impressed about the stuff I've read about him. Obviously a really high upside guy and would be temping, any addition like that would help us and this draft but I can't say I'm that confident of his "star potential." I say this without having seen him though. I highly highly doubt he actually declares even if he is eligible, they said Mayo might do the same thing and he ended up barely considering it.

That may have been because of Oden and Durant though (at least that's what I'm hoping). Because I'm pretty sure Mayo was the top prospect on a few draft boards a year or so before last year's draft. Everyone knew Oden was gonna be the top pick 2 years before he even went to college.
 
That may have been because of Oden and Durant though (at least that's what I'm hoping). Because I'm pretty sure Mayo was the top prospect on a few draft boards a year or so before last year's draft. Everyone knew Oden was gonna be the top pick 2 years before he even went to college.

Yeah perhaps, we'll see about Wall. Like Ford said it depends on two huge ifs, if it's deemed legal and if he even wants to do it.

While I think Wall has a higher upside than Jennings because he has a bigger frame which will make him a stronger finisher, they have a lot of similar weaknesses and strengths skills wise. I'd be happy with him, but I don't know if I'd take him over Rubio, that would be a tough call.
 
Yeah perhaps, we'll see about Wall. Like Ford said it depends on two huge ifs, if it's deemed legal and if he even wants to do it.

While I think Wall has a higher upside than Jennings because he has a bigger frame which will make him a stronger finisher, they have a lot of similar weaknesses and strengths skills wise. I'd be happy with him, but I don't know if I'd take him over Rubio, that would be a tough call.

If they are both eligible and they both declare, than I think what it will come down to is the buy-out on Rubio's contract.
 
Everybody is keying in on the fact that Wall's contemporary high school class graduated last year. However, draft eligibility based on high school year is also contingent upon what I bolded -- if Wall gets a diploma this year then he DID graduate high school, and would have to wait another year.

I suppose it's possible that Wall could refuse a diploma from Word of God Prep, or maybe they would not intend to award him one, in which case he might be eligible, but the league could very well rule that "the class with which the player would have graduated" would be the Word of God Prep class. In this case, because he was still technically in high school, his second senior class would supersede his first senior class as his expected graduating class.
I think the real question is whether or not he was eligible for a diploma at his original school, if he can prove that he met the graduation requirements then he should be golden, or if Word of God recognized him as some type of post-graduate student as my prep school in NH did for 5th year students - just about anything to show he was not held back but chose the extra year.
 
If they are both eligible and they both declare, than I think what it will come down to is the buy-out on Rubio's contract.

Well if Rubio stays in the draft it's likely his buyout issue is taken care of, I doubt he goes in the draft with that unsettled which could cause him to slip.
 
I have to say these past few weeks were the first I had heard of Wall and he is interesting. If he is eligible, then my 4 looks like this:

1. Griffin
2. Rubio
3. Thabeet
4. Wall

And 3 and 4 are very very close.
 
I have to say these past few weeks were the first I had heard of Wall and he is interesting. If he is eligible, then my 4 looks like this:

1. Griffin
2. Rubio
3. Thabeet
4. Wall

And 3 and 4 are very very close.

How can you put Thabeet ahead of Wall if Wall enters? He has so much star potential, how could you pass that up when in Thabeet he almost definitely isn't going to be a star?
 
I've only seen Wall play in one game, and it was basicly an exhibition game. However, his teammates were the best of the best coming out of highschool, and the competiton was certainly out for blood, having never beaten the USA in this game. In my opinion, John Wall was hands down the best player on the floor in that game and it wasn't even close. Henry would be the second best player.

The Rose analogy is a pretty good one, because thats who he reminded me of. It is of course just one game. But he did live up to his hype, and played with great confidence. To be honest, I was surprised. I'm not sure what I expected, but whatever it was, he exceeded it.
 
Well that game clip that was linked to earlier in this thread was very impressive, not least of which because about half the spectacular plays he made in it were on defense.
 
Forget John Wall, let's draft Paul Wall!!! :D

Paul-Wall5.jpg
 
Well that game clip that was linked to earlier in this thread was very impressive, not least of which because about half the spectacular plays he made in it were on defense.

I thought the same as well. I hope he declares, even if we don't have a chance at him. This class needs to be a little more stronger at the top for point guards. We could use all the available options.
 
I'm pretty sure when you promise a parent that you will go to college that doesn't mean for just one year, but what do I know? I'm sure his dad would be proud either way.
 
I'm pretty sure when you promise a parent that you will go to college that doesn't mean for just one year, but what do I know? I'm sure his dad would be proud either way.
Hawes promised his mom he would finish his degree, when he wanted to jump to the NBA after one year of college. He went to school last summer and I imagine he'll do the same this summer.
 
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