**A WOLFPACK HOOPS EXCLUSIVE**Today we had a chance to do something we've been wanting to do for some time, and something Wolfpack Nation has been wanting to read for even longer. A surprise guest at the Carolina Challenge, John Wall, the #1 player in the nation, and NC State recruit, sat down for an interview with us and answered some pretty tough questions about his recruitment and the Wolfpack. He also shed some light on his commitment date, his process, and what he looks for in a team. Here's how it went down:
Wolfpack Hoops: So John, what brings you over to the the Carolina Challenge today?
John Wall: I just wanted to come out and show some support to my Word of God teammates.
WPH: Well, we recently had the chance to talk with your coach, Levi Beckwith, and he mentioned that you don't have any real commitment date and that you might not even decide on signing day, which conflicts with reports that you'll announce at the Jordan Brand All-Star game, can you shed some light on that?
John Wall: Yeah, well actually I said I'd announce at the Jordan All Star game, but I don't think I'm going to now. I don't have to decide on signing day, so i might wait. I'm not sure yet. I want to make sure I give every school a fair look. Tomorrow I'm going to meet with Coach K at Duke, because I haven't got to sit down and talk with him yet. Then, I need to talk with Miami too. After that I'll need to sit down with my Mom and my Coach (Beckwith) and decide which school is best for me.
WPH: That sounds like a good plan to me. What about the reports that have you stating Memphis as being the leader? Can you talk about that?
John Wall: I'd say yeah, right now Memphis is leading, but that can change easily. I mean, remember when OJ Mayo was being recruited. He had his favorites early on and they'd change. Nobody ever thought he'd pick USC until right at the end you know what I mean.
WPH: Yeah, I hear what you're saying. So I'm going to let you go watch this game but I just want to ask you one more question. With a lot of these schools you'll be just another great player fitting in on their team, then there are a few schools on your list you can go to and completely change their program, maybe become a legend. Which sounds better to you?
John Wall: I'd say that I could be a program changer, or I could just fit in at a school, either way I'm going to sit down with my mom and my coach and just figure out which school is best for me.
WPH: Thanks so much for your time John and good luck with your decision!
John Wall: Thank you.
*** We at Wolfpack Hoops would like to thank John for taking time out of his day to talk with us, and we wish him success wherever life leads him.
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18 Responses to "JOHN WALL : The Interview"Wolfpack Hoops,
I read the intire interview and from what I saw it does not look promising to me. I am one of those guys that like to read between the lines and analyze what was said and how the context of it was. You asked great questions but it seems like to me he is sat on fitting in somewhere and helping to win a national championship with a Memphis or a Duke rather than being a program changer and legend and coming to restore the N.C. State program. I am still hoping for the best because I want this kid in NC State red badly ! Can you shed any light on the body movements or how you feel about actually sitting down to interview with this young man? What kind of vibe did you get because sometimes i know you can have more of a vibe and can read a person better when you are actually speaking to him. Any feeback would be greatly appreciated about this topic. Thanks so much for all that you do
From speaking to him I honestly did not get the vibe that he is set on Memphis at all.
Did I get the vibe that he wanted to go to NC State? Not necessarily, but he knew I was from an independent NC State website and he was very talkative.
As we've stated earlier, it seems to be between Memphis, State and Duke. He mentioned talking to coach K tomorrow, and he's never really talked about an unofficial visit before in an interview that I've read. To me this says that he thinks it's cool that he gets to sit down with a coaching legend.
The one main positive thing that caught me off guard when he said it, was the blurb about OJ Mayo and how everyone thought he was going one place, and he ended up at a school that nobody thought had a chance. For him to immediately come up with that as an example says to me that he's thought about that particular example as a parallel to his situation.
Again though, he did say Memphis is still the leader.
He was very nice and seemed very willing to talk to us. Him and Bishop Daniels were the 2 most polite kids we talked to at this event.
I agree with Adam,I don't think it's looking to good for the pack but I'm still hoping for a miracle.
Is that supposed to be Memphis in his answer to the second question, or is he actually considering Miami? I hadn't heard anything about that.
My 3 yo daughter went up to John and said "My name is Amelia, what's your name?" He turned around andsaid his name was John and I had a good laugh about it. (She was holding a little red plastic NC State Cheerleader mega phone, so big props to my girl fellas!)
I brought her to Cary Academy before we went swimming by telling her that if we went to watch B Ball we might see some famous players (she just started playing for fun at the Y this year and loved it).
Great interview, I'm sure you were pumped about it. My thoughts about the first post and any other ones related to this recruitment and any others is "don't over analyze it". These players are happy doing what they do and they want to full fill their dreams so their going about this as a process and are never able to fully express whats all going on.
Miami is correct.
My educated guess is that Miami is not really a contender in this whole thing. I just don't see a strong connection to Miami...
what I do see however is a pretty sweet official visit, spending your weekend in South Beach
Not sure I appreciated the last question but could be taking it wrong, especially due to the article that ran in the N&O a little while back. But with this kid, just hoping for the best, expecting the worst.
maybe the collapse of memphis in the tourney as well as the talk of calipari and kentucky could factor into some of these recruits decisions,you know these are teenagers
awsome that you guys were able to get an interview w/ J-Wall. I agree with you that its up in the air. Hope he ends up with the Pack
The fact that he brought up Mayo picking the team that nobody expected gives me hope.
I'm already ecstatic about next year's in-coming class, and i'm confident with some of our rising upper classmen (particularly Smith), but i hope JW knows how much he'd bring to the team if he chose to run the point for the Wolfpack. He'd definitely be a team-changer @ NC State. Come on John...
First off I want to commend you guys for the great job you all are doing for N.C. state basketball. Keeping it positive only is the best thing that could of happened to N.C. State. I myself thought the last question you asked John was perfect because you laid it on the line and let him know that if he came to a place like State he would be remembered. Whereas, with someone like Memphis he would just come and go with the rest of the ridiculous amount of talent that they will have next year. I really feel like if we miss on John it would really be gut check to Lowe and N.C. State. Lowe and company found a diamond in the rough, and when a little dust came off that diamond and started to shine that's when the rest of the crowd gathered around and started noticing it's potential. I really hate the fact that duke is even in this running and hope John realizes he was there second choice for a point guard when there first recruit fell through. I also think that the way he reacted in the interview as far as being talkative was a positive as well because the times that I have seen him in his videos and in person, I see him as being really laid back and kind of silent in a way, so being very comfortable talking about N.C. State to me seems really promising. But, maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part. Anyway, thanks for everything you guys are doing, keep it up. GO PACK!
First I want to say, great interview and good job. I don't really follow recruiting all that much, but this young man seems to be a one in a million. He would be the top freshman to come along since Derrick Rose. I guess that is one more thing in Memphis' corner. I also don't quite understand the collapse that you eluded to?!? Losing to a team that shot lights out all night and pushed U Conn to the very limits isn't a collapse. However, it will be very interesting to see if he joins the #2 and #3 recruits in the nation to give Memphis one of the top recruiting classes in the history of college basketball or goes to Duke, and realizes he just made a monumental mistake, or joins State and tries to resurrect the program.
I hope that the report of Josh Davis being a close friend of Johns' makes some difference. Even if we don't get Wall though, watching Missouri play got me thinking about how Davis would be perfect for that style. One can dream.
I have a good deal of respect for the process JW is working through and the fashion he is going about it. He has a huge decision to make on whichh path to take and it appears he is taking all things into account. From the far away and obscure place my perspective comes from it appears that he has a sound process going on.
I knew early on that the reaction to JW's recruitment would be a circus when folks jumped all over Clifton for taking the Baylor job and supposed the whole gig was a farce. But look at the facts; Clifton was an ACC player and had done a remarkable job forming D One Sports. They came out of no where to become a powerful and well respected national team- something we lacked locally. Why wouldn't a college hire him to do something very much the same on a coaching staff?
Why seriously question why a prep recruit wouldn't want to sit down with K after what he accomplished over seas this summer? (Take into account that I for one think this was the first time in a while the best USA players wanted to go for the Olympics, but I still think K deserves prop's for his achievements.)
But Coach Lowe has his own story to tell and anyone who calls themselves a true Wolfpack basketball fan know the career accomplishments of this man w/o wasting time dragging his name through the mud because of some losses on the hardwood. Have some more patience and let this process a few more for the '10 and '11 recruiting classes play out and you will see us raise a banner in the RBC for the first time.
maybe memphis didnt collapse but they certainly didnt live up to exppectations,with what they did a yr ago and the players that have as well as the coach that they have losing to a missouri team with a young coach and not really any superstars in my book would be considered a bad loss,and i do understand in the ncaa tourney any loss is a bad one,but i also dont believe many had picked memphis to lose out in the round of 16
If Cal goes to UK, how does that affect Wall and Cousins? KY already has the #3 center in nation signed to a LOI. Can we get back in it with Cousins?
there may be a window of opportunity with Cousins, and a little more leeway with Wall as well.
we'll have to wait and see, none of this Cal to Kentucky is final yet
hearing that it may now be final. Cal to Kentucky.
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