Before I get into this interview, let me make this clear. Kenny Boynton is the man for Duke. If something goes south they might look at John Wall and he is still open to Duke coming in. He is a very talented true speedy PG who slashes about the court and makes his teammates better with his abilty to get them the ball. During this interview, I had two cameras on me for they were filming for a documentary on the process surrounding Wall. You never know what might happen in recruiting.
The last time I talked to you was in Durham during the TOC, has anything changed since then?
Not really. I am still wide open and trying to get schools to come in. The schools that are coming at me the hardest are Memphis and Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky and NC State so far. Those are the ones coming the hardest but I think other schools are going to come around.
The last time I talked with your coach he said you were not near a point where you would shut down the process. Does that still hold true?
Yes, that's still true, but after Vegas I'm going to narrow my list down going into my senior year. You've got to get your five ... get your business set up.
So, is there anyone that would make the top five for sure ... right now ... anyone guaranteed a visit?
No, not yet. There's a couple of schools getting close to it.
You just scored thirty points in your last game, but your team came up short. Did you miss Ryan Kelly?
Yeah, Kelly's a big part. He gives us a presence in the paint and as you could see we lacked that. We weren't playing defense and getting back. We just didn't make our shots but we played hard.
Is the AAU season taking a toll on you?
Yeah, it gets kind of tough, but you go back home. In between you just ice your knees and relax. We'll go to Vegas (Reebok) next and then I can rest for a little while before preparing for my senior year.
(I then turned my attention to his coach Dwon Clifton who is always by his side) He said -
"I think he has an idea of what he wants. I want him to be comfortable with what he does. He has a lot of talent and I encourage him to get better and stronger. I mean, now that people knows who he is some of the flaws he could once get away with he will now have to develop. Now, everyone is going to start to push him and pull him and try to get him to go against his people and get him to feel like no one can tell him anything. This world can eat him up. I've seen it happen to too many players, myself included. (played at Clemson). I don't want that to be the case with him."
So, will your coach be a big part of the process?
He's like a bigger brother to me. I don't have one like that so he fills in. With DC ... we can go out and stuff and just have a good time. He's trying to develop me through this process because he went through it at Clemson. So, when I make my decision, I am going to ask him or talk to him about it.
Who are some of the toughest guys you've gone against on the circuit?
Tommy Mason here. He's really tough.
What does John Wall need to work on for his game to get better?
I've got to get stronger, work on my jump shot, defense, lateral movement ... there's a lot of stuff I can work on. You just can't stop when you get on top. I have some God given ability but I need to keep working because everybody else will.
What keeps you motivated?
Playing for my Dad. He died when I was ten years old. My Mom, my sister .. just want to get them to a better place.
How long have you known your Coach?
I knew him from the AAU circuit when I was about 14, but he really started coming in in the last two years talking to me. Now he's my AAU coach and gives me advice.
Of the ACC schools, you mentioned NC State. With you playing highs school ball down the road, do they push hard?
They come and visit every game they can. Duke came to a couple of my games this year. Carolina came to a couple.
You've been to some of there games too, right?
Yes, I have been to a couple of Duke games and a Carolina game.
How did you like the atmosphere at those schools?
It's a good atmosphere.. crazy, people are going crazy everywhere at Duke and UNC ... all those fans.
Did Duke contact you at one time or are they in touch?
Coach Dawkins and Coach K came to a couple of my games. They said they wanted to start recruiting me and stuff like that. I took their advice and came to the TOC and was able to play a game in Cameron.
Have they been in touch since that time?
Uhhh .. I haven't talked to them since Coach Dawkins got the job at Stanford.
UNC?
No, haven't heard from them.
Thanks for your time and I wish you luck in choosing the right school. [/private]
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