John Wall, one of the nation’s most sought-after high school recruits, has decided to play for John Calipari and Kentucky.
The point guard from Word of God Christian Academy 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.
Wall was named The Associated Press men’s player of the year for North Carolina in March.
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.