[B]By AK Murthy [/B]
[I]Special to NOB courtesy of Coast2CoastHoops.com[/I]
NationofBlue sat down with former Kentucky Wildcat and #1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, John Wall, to talk about his NBA career and Kentucky hoops.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Wall, who was drafted to the NBA as a freshman, has gone back to school to get his degree.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to get my degree,” Wall told NOB. “So I’m glad I’m going back to get it. I promised my mom and my dad before he died that I would do it, so it’s very important to me.”
Wall also said that he expects big things from the 2011-12 edition of the Wildcats.
“I think they’re going to do well next year,” Wall said. “They have some of the top recruits in the country coming in. It’s good to see that they’re all working hard. If they continue to do that, the sky is the limit for them and they can achieve some great things.”
“I haven’t worked with any of them yet but I’m going to try to go there in a few weeks and play pickup with them,” he said. “I’ll just try to teach them some things and show them that even though college is tough, it can be fun too.”
As a high profile alum of UK, Wall feels a special bond with his alma mater and has taken it upon himself to give back to the university and basketball program.
“I love Kentucky and I want to give back to the program that helped me achieve my dreams,” Wall said. “I’m very fortunate to have the success I have, and I want to help other people achieve that. It took a lot of hard work to get where I am.”
As far as his NBA career, Wall said he expects to improve on what was a rough rookie season for his team.
“Last season was tough for me playing through injuries and losing games,” Wall said, “but I think next year is going to be a lot better. I think I learned a lot, so that will help me going into next season. We’re just working on getting better and trying to add to the win column.”
Wall also had a lot of positive things to say about the Washington Wizards.
“It’s a great city and a great organization, I like playing for them and the fans,” he added. “We have the pieces to turn it around, we just need some time to make it happen.”
The Wizards selected Croatian forward Jan Veseley with the sixth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, a move that Wall supports.
“Jan is a great player,” he said. “He’s going to be really good. He’s so talented that once he adjusts to the NBA style and gets stronger, he will be a fantastic player. The great part is that he still has a lot of room to grow.”
While Wall is focused on winning more games in his sophomore year in the NBA, he certainly hasn’t forgotten his college team. Wall didn’t parse words when asked why recruits should choose the University of Kentucky.
“Kentucky is one of the best basketball schools in the country, of all time,” he said. “It’s got everything, the coaches, the facilities, the fans. Any player would be lucky to go there. It was a dream come true for me.”
