Elbow To Face= Fist To The Ribs

((HT: CSNWashington/NBA/blazersedgeben))

John Wall didn't like getting elbowed in the Wednesday night game between his Wizards and the Heat. The only problem with that is when Zydrunas Ilgauskas elbows you in the chops, you can't just hit him back in the chops if you're a guard...

Evidence below...


Doesn't quite seem like a fair fight unless a stepladder is involved...

Wall to Wizards....is anyone paying attention?

To say that the NBA Draft doesn't quite get the buildup that the NFL does would be a huuuuuggggeeee understatement.

Sure, it's actually somewhat entertaining. There are always trades and this year is no different, there are a lot of teams making deals for guys they've never had play and guys they don't want playing for them. But there is very little drama.

We knew that John Wall was going to be the first pick. There was never a question. He's now part of the Washington Wizards, who we still don't know how ended up with the first pick. There is little question that he'll be a star. No, the only question is how is he going to mesh with our good friend Gilbert. Yes, none other than Agent Zero himself.

More from the New York Times RIGHT HERE

Also to the surprise of no one, Evan Turner of Ohio State went second to Philadelphia and despite their denials, New Jersey took rising sophomore Derrick Favors.

Check out NBA.com's coverage, with Matt Winer, Kenny Smith and Bill Self breaking down the selection. Thanks NBA.com, we love that you are blogger friendly.

5 Wildcats Declare For NBA Draft

The HQ honestly thought the number would be that high...

But Kentucky freshmen Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton and John Wall and junior Patrick Patterson are entering their names into the NBA draft, the school announced in a release on Wednesday.

Bledsoe averaged over 11 points per game. Cousins was second on the team in scoring. Orton was the sixth man. Wall was, well, John Wall. And Patterson was a top-15 player in the country when it came to field goal percentage.

All five players are projected as first-round picks.

“I’ve spoken with all five guys concerning the NBA and have encouraged them to put their names in the draft,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “They’ve all met individually with our compliance office to make sure they have a full understanding of eligibility rules and academic responsibilities. I’m so proud of these five young men, with everything they did for us on the court and the way they represented us off of it. It’s extremely unusual for four freshmen from the same team to have this opportunity, but it’s my job as a coach to prepare these young men for such opportunities.”

Underclassmen have until April 25th to declare for the draft and have until May 8th to withdraw their name from the draft. The draft itself is on June 24th.

Here's an example of what Ashley Judd will be missing next season...
Every point scored by UK in the Tennessee home game...
Well edited by UKWildcatFan92...
((HT: ESPN/NCAA/SEC))

So You Wanna Be Number One...???

And you run in to Columbia, South Carolina and get upset...

The Leader of the Free World warned UK head coach John Calipari about a game like this one in their phone call earlier in the afternoon, but the home team came up and bit them...

Devan Downey, the SEC's leading scorer, lit up Kentucky for 30 on his own as the Gamecocks beat Kentucky 68-62... no word on if Ashley Judd was in attendance...

((Crowd goes wild after game//Courtesy: Gerry Melendez/TheState.com))

Downey was 9-for-29 from the floor, but was 10-for-11 from the free throw line...

***Late Breaking News***- The University of South Carolina was fined $25k for what you see in the picture. More on that from TheState.com RIGHT HERE

Here's the wrap from our friends at WKYT-TV in Lexington...
Brandon Fisher was on site...

The Great Wall And A Grey Beard...

You've seen the hype.

You followed all the trials and tribulations when he was a high school senior trying to determine whether or not his time of Raleigh-Word Of God would send him to Miami or Duke.

Sure, Coach Cal was at the front of the line, but the whole Memphis fiasco put that in limbo- as did the illegal contact from his AAU coach that forced him to sit the first two UK games this year.

You wonder what all the hype is about... you know he's a one-and-done, but it's like that wreck on the side of the road. You want to check it out on your way past...

Thus, another game at the last year of Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum on the corner of Roosevelt and Donahue on the Auburn campus.

((Ashley Judd is on the front row somewhere behind the UK bench, pictured thanks to me... What...? You don't see her...???))

Before the game was over, I think the entire world saw a bit of a blueprint on how to beat Kentucky come tournament time. It starts with free throw shooting...

I know that comes as some short of a shock when it comes to a Cal-Coached team...
The second-ranked Wildcats went 23-for-35, but at one point were 15-for-26. Wall's free throws down the stretch saved that average. Auburn only went 8-for-14, but the ridiculously one-sided whistling by SEC officials gave it that margin.

Auburn drew close in the first half, but a DeMarcus Cousins block/no-call and a bucket at the other end turned what could have been a four-point game to an eight-point game. That also happened on two possessions in the second half where the Tigers could have drawn even, but block/no-calls ((and a 10-second call on a walk-up and a bad cross-court pass on offense)) gave away too many opportunities.

There's your second point... you can't give away possessions. Auburn was smaller on the inside and had to live and die by the three. They were 9-for-24. At times, DeWayne Reed was out of his mind from the outside for an over matched Jeff Lebo-coached team.

Kentucky tried to turn the game into a track meet, but Auburn wasn't buying. The possessions were slowed down, the ball was worked around, and there were a lot of chacnes with the paint wide open that went ignored off a back door look.

One last thing...

Kentucky's speed can not be taken for granted- ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever.

And I'm talking on both offense and defense. Their closing speed when the other team is in transition is unreal, their size on the inside needs to be matched for any level of success if your favorite team can't shoot from the outside.

And Wall...??? Flashes of brilliance, freshman mistakes, and team that's now 18-0.

It's Official: Wall To Kentucky

((HT: WRAL-TV))

Word of God point guard John Wall ((pictured, thanks WRAL-TV)) held a press conference Wednesday, one day after announcing his intentions to attend Kentucky next fall to play basketball.

There were no surprises at the press conference, as Wall only confirmed that he would be signing with the Wildcats.

"It has been a very difficult process, but I have chosen to attend the University of Kentucky," Wall announced in his opening statement. He added that he may "try to major in something with computers."

The 6-foot-4, 175-pound Wall also noted that he may not be a one-and-done player, and that he could be at Kentucky for multiple seasons.

It has not been a secret that Wall, the No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2009, has had a good relationship with Kentucky coach John Calipari for some time, and Wall said that was the ultimate determining factor in his decision.

Wall said earlier this year that Memphis was his slight favorite, but after Calipari was hired at Kentucky, his recruitment took a turn.

"I wanted to go to a school where I could compete for a national championship, but I also wanted to go to a school that would fit me academically," Wall said.

Duke also made a late offer, and North Carolina coach Roy Williams called Wall from the Final Four in Detroit. No offer was ever extended from the Tar Heels, though.

"When [Calipari] switched jobs I opened up my recruitment," Wall said, adding that Calipari's move is what opened things up for other schools, like Duke.

There were also rumors that Wall may try to jump to the NBA Draft, however, Wall did not make that step. "I promised my mom and my dad, before he died, that I was going to attend college," Wall said.

Wall said he has been fielding "three or four" phone calls a day from college coaches in recent weeks, showing just how sought after Wall was. Rivals.com rates Wall the nation's No. 1 overall player, while Scout.com lists him as the No. 2. All recruiting analysts are in agreement, though - he is the best point guard in his class.

Duke and N.C. State - two teams who are in need of a point guard - both offered Wall scholarships. The Wolfpack got involved with Wall very early in the recruiting process, but Duke stepped up in the last few months.

WRAL confirmed last month that Wall was supposed to take a visit to Durham before making his final official visit to Miami, but the visit fell through.

"I would have loved to stay in state, but the best school for me was outside of the state," Wall said. There was speculation that he may try to stay close to home because of his mother's illness.

Wall was cited last month for breaking and entering after he was caught in an unoccupied home. Wall said Wednesday that he made a mistake, and apologized to his family and school.

In the end, Wall's decision came down to Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Miami, N.C. State and Oregon; and Wall believes he has made the best decision for him athletically and academically.

WRAL confirmed Tuesday that Wall had committed to Kentucky, ending a long recruiting process for the nation's top point guard.

Here's the extended interview WRAL had with Wall...

John Wall To Kentucky

((HT: WLEX-TV))

Mary Jo Perino and Alan Cutler 'splain the impact of five-star recruit John Wall and what it means to have 17 guys in camp...

The point guard from Word of God Christian Academy High School in Raleigh had been pursued by numerous schools including Duke, Kansas and Miami. But he has committed to play join Calipari and the Wildcats, according to several media reports.

In an interview with Scout.com on Tuesday morning, Wall said his relationship with Calipari put the Wildcats over the top. He's part of a UK class that the recruiting site ranks as the nation's best.

Word of God is planning a news conference for Wall to formally announce his decision Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Even before Wall made his decision, Calipari's first recruiting class at Kentucky included point guard Eric Bledsoe, forward DeMarcus Cousins and center Daniel Orton.

All-Southeastern Conference center Patrick Patterson also decided to withdraw his name from consideration for the NBA draft and return to the Wildcats. Guard Jodie Meeks, the team's leading scorer last year, hasn't yet announced whether he will stay at Kentucky or remain in the draft.