The Miami Hurricanes took their best shot at the nation's No. 1 available basketball recruit this weekend. So, did staying on South Beach and hanging out with Jack McClinton this weekend convince future NBA Lottery star point guard John Wall that UM could be the place he spends one year before collecting a multi-million million dollar paycheck at the next level?
Let's just say the Hurricanes might now really be in the mix. After reading several interviews Wall gave various media outlets in the time since his visit, it appears at the very least Miami made an impression.
“Now they are up there," Wall told Scout.com's Evan Daniels. "I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t really considering them that hard, but I hadn’t taken a visit there and I didn’t know how it was going to be and how the coaches were. After I took the visit it really opened my eyes up."
“I feel like I like the school better than I did before,” he said. “I had Miami on my list but I never really considered them. I didn’t know how it was. I knew it was going to be nice in Florida, but didn’t know how it was school wise and that all the players from different sports get along great.”
“From talking to coach [Frank] Haith, I really got a chance to sit down and talk to him one-on-one for a few hours and we watched some film and I just felt like it was a great place.”
Great place? Sure, we've heard that before. But could UM really be the final destination? That remains to be seen. This week, Wall told several reporters he would cut his list of finalists -- Miami, Kentucky, Florida, Duke, Baylor, N.C. State, Memphis -- down considerably before making a final decision.
"I'm going to sit down this week and really talk it out," Wall told TheDevilsDen.com "I think I will have it down to two or three schools by the end of the week. After that I can concentrate just on those schools and make a decision I'm comfortable with."
What will he be considering?
"There's just a lot to think about, really," Wall told TheDevilsDen.com. "Do I want to leave home for a year? I mean you can't control where you get drafted, so this would be my last year at home. Which coaches do I fit well with? Which teams? How do I like the campus? That kind of thing. There's just a lot to think about."
You got to give coach Frank Haith some credit. At the very least, he not only got the nation's No. 1 available player to visit UM, but make them sound great, too. And believe me, other recruits listen.
O since GT beat us once by a dominating measure we are all the sudden not worthy of there presence? Ha WE WILL BEAT GT THIS YEAR MARK MY WORDS!!!!!!!
Posted by: elliott | May 13, 2009 at 08:36 AM
http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/05/12/sources-john-wall-down-to-two-fordham-releases-a-3rd-player-recruiting-notes/
a cut above …
fingers crossed ...
BALLS 2 THE WALL
Posted by: green | May 13, 2009 at 03:23 PM
i dont want to bring up this whole FIU vs. UM thing as much as the next guy im just wondering what the UM fans would think IF FIU lands the 2 5 star recruits in Lance "born ready" Stephenson (McDonald all american Guard) and latavious Williams (6'-8" PF) in roughly a month of IT' era while it has taken Frank Haith this long to be under consideration for Mark Wall. granted we are a long shot for latavious i think but source says we are being strongly considered by Lance stephenson. its a serious question not ment to anger anyone just curious what would you think recruiting wise?
Posted by: CJ | May 13, 2009 at 03:49 PM
MANNY PLEASE WRITE SOMETHING NEW....I CAN ONLY LOOK AT WALL GIVING US HIGH MARKS FOR SO LONG!
Posted by: Leo | May 13, 2009 at 04:36 PM
i dont want to bring up this whole FIU vs. UM thing
Posted by: CJ | May 13, 2009 at 03:49 PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/ncaa/men/conferences/sbelt/
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/Xeroc/UM/emptyOrangeBowl2.jpg
what thing?
get it through your thick head …
not our peer …
not our rival …
in fact, f-i-u-don’t-matter …
know your place …
BENEATH U
Posted by: green | May 13, 2009 at 06:10 PM
Lance "born ready" Stephenson (McDonald all american Guard)
Posted by: CJ | May 13, 2009 at 03:49 PM
http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/05/12/sources-john-wall-down-to-two-fordham-releases-a-3rd-player-recruiting-notes/
Head coach Frank Haith (signed) New York combo guard Durand Scott, whose Rice team beat Lance Stephenson and Lincoln in the New York State Federation title game.
-- zagsblog
Posted by: green | May 13, 2009 at 06:12 PM
a month of IT' era
Posted by: CJ | May 13, 2009 at 03:49 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2007/09/12/2007-09-12_brownesanders_slams_isiah_thomas_in_sexh.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/02/sports/main3318386.shtml
UNREPENTANT REPROBATE
Posted by: green | May 13, 2009 at 06:14 PM
IF FIU lands the 2 5 star recruits
Posted by: CJ | May 13, 2009 at 03:49 PM
http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/05/12/sources-john-wall-down-to-two-fordham-releases-a-3rd-player-recruiting-notes/
you silly boy …
a difference exists between genuine interest and passing fancy …
if ifs and buts were candy nuts …
SNOWBALL’S CHANCE
Posted by: green | May 13, 2009 at 06:17 PM
it has taken Frank Haith this long to be under consideration for Mark Wall.
Posted by: CJ | May 13, 2009 at 03:49 PM
http://miami.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1642
only one #1 recruit …
remember my name: John Wall
UNRIVALED
Posted by: green | May 13, 2009 at 06:19 PM
U still have the worst defense in the history of UM football.
Posted by: who cares, U stink | May 13, 2009 at 10:11 PM
Here is that Gaytor Troll again - well punk, our "worst defense" held your NC Gaytors to 9 points until a referee gave them a call. We will see how bad our defense is this year little girl. We are one year away from being on top again and the Gaytors are one year away from rebuilding and Urban the Cryer jumping ship to ND... then we will dominate you losers for the next decade like before and the world will be normal again... by the way, we swept your baseball team at home and we knocked your tennis team out... Gaytor troll reality check. T-Bag leaving = Gaytors losing. I guarantee that the Gaytors will not win another Championship in any sport for the next decade at least... go back to your trailer little girl.
Posted by: GaytorTrollAlert | May 13, 2009 at 11:54 PM
ESPN NEWS:
"Shane Matthews played quarterback at Florida in the early 1990s, but when Matthews criticized Meyer's game strategy during Florida's upset loss to Mississippi on his radio show last fall, Meyer was not happy. And though he didn't mention Matthews by name in a recent Gator Club appearance, it seemed that his comments about ex-players pledging allegiance to the orange and blue were made with Matthews in mind, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
SEC blog
ESPN.com's Chris Low writes about all things SEC in his conference blog.
• Blog network
"If you want to be critical of a player on our team or a coach on our team you can buy a ticket for seat 37F, you're not welcome back in the football office," Meyer said, according to the report. "You're either a Gator or you're not a Gator."
The rift apparently started when Matthews criticized the offense following the 31-30 loss to Mississippi -- the game that produced Tim Tebow's now-famous postgame speech."
Who else has recently said the same thing that Urban breaktherules Meyers just repeated, i.e, "your either with us or against us"... yeah, that's right, it was good ol George W. Bush... can you say paranoid?
This just proves what a joke that program is over there in "Deliverence Country" a/k/a Gaynesville - Urban the Dicktator is letting everyone know that he will not stand to be criticized - if you say anything bad about him he will lock you out of the football office, as well as the Gaytor Club and he will take away your Gaytor Card; so keep your mouth shut or you will not be able to participate in any more circle jerks with the other toothless Gaytor fans and will have to go back to your family renunions to pick up chicks!! Seems to me that Urban the crier is a bit sensitive - "he can't handle the truth! just like he can't speak the truth!
It is clear to all non-Gaytors that Matthews is more of a Gaytor than Urban, after all Matthews played for the Gaytors and went to school at Florida and Urban did neither. But Urban soontobeheadedtonotredame Meyers wants to lock Matthwes out because his "liwwle feelings got hurt!!!" Mommy, that mean man is saying bad things about me...wa wa wa... Now Now girls, play nice - just get your T-bag doll and go play in the pen with your sister. What a bunch of losers over there in farmville... no wonder everyone hates the Gaytors.
Posted by: From Gator Growl to Gator Whine | May 14, 2009 at 12:20 AM
There is nothing to talk about in UM sports hahah....Its going downhill that is all u have to know...
Posted by: Not the U anymore | May 14, 2009 at 01:19 AM
Breaking news: Wall has just signed with the U!!!! Holy cow how did this happen? Must give credit to Mr. Marshmallow...He actually got Wall to come to SoBe and enjoye a vacation! Suckers...Did u really think Wall cared about the U...NO, he was just smart enough to get a paid vacation to south florida...Wall will never go to such an ugly old campus like um's...The place is deteriorating just like its football program...Face the truth spoiled little moma & dady kids, u spent a lot of money for a name that HAD a great PAST...Very sad what has happened at um...
Posted by: Not the U anymore | May 14, 2009 at 01:53 AM
im just wondering what the UM fans would think IF FIU lands 5 star recruit Lance "born ready" Stephenson (McDonald all american Guard) roughly a month of IT' era while it has taken Frank Haith this long to be under consideration for Mark Wall.
Posted by: CJ | May 13, 2009 at 03:49 PM
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11735696
UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE
Posted by: green | May 14, 2009 at 04:34 PM
Mark Wall
Posted by: CJ | May 13, 2009 at 03:49 PM
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/umblog/entries/2009/04/30/does_um_really_have_a_chance_t.html
(John) Wall would likely be chosen near the top of June’s NBA Draft if not for rules that state players must be 19 years old and a year removed from high school graduation to be eligible for the draft.
NBAdraftnet.com, an Internet site, projects that (John) Wall will be the first player taken in the 2010 NBA Draft.
-- pbpost’s jorge milian
Posted by: green | May 15, 2009 at 08:19 AM