John Wall

John Wall

Point Guard

Word of God Christian Academy
Raleigh, NC

6'3"

180

2009

Kentucky

With his long arms and remarkable speed and agility, John Wall draws comparisons to Rajon Rondo of the NBA champion Boston Celtics. He has excellent court vision and a good "feel" for the game -- ideal qualities for a lead guard. He's also an excellent rebounder, and always a threat to pull down a miss on defense and take it coast-to-coast.

The only knock on his game is an inconsistent jump shot. Various reports have noted that Wall's form can be spotty -- that will improve with repetition. He also has a tendency to gamble a bit too much on defense, but that's really only a problem if he doesn't have a sound shot-blocker backing him up. Good coaching can turn that aggression on the defensive end into a strength.

He would likely have been a lottery pick in the 2009 NBA Draft if he'd declared -- technically, he's old enough to get around the age limit, having played a year of prep ball after finishing high school. But Wall opted not to enter the draft, citing a promise he'd made to his late father.

Wall is rated the top point guard in the class of 2009 by most scouting services.

Package Deal: Signed, Sealed and Delivered?

Wall's AAU coach, Dwon Clifton, was recently hired as Director of Player Development at Baylor -- leading many to believe that Wall would follow as part of a "package deal."

Such deals are forbidden under current NCAA regulations, but the rules are very difficult to enforce, as investigators have a difficult time proving the intent behind a given hire.