UK alum Tom Leach has
been the play-by-play “Voice of the Wildcats” for the football Cats for 12
years and 9 year’s for men’s basketball. He is a four-time winner of the Kentucky
Sportscaster of the Year award. Tom offers an entertaining and insightful perspective
into UK athletics. Column entries will be posted twice per week through April. Read
Tom’s full biography
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Sports Illustrated has featured a Kentucky basketball player on its cover
several times, but as far as I know, this week’s profile of UK freshman point
guard John Wall represents the first time an individual Wildcat has been the
subject of a cover story.
Grant Wahl wrote the article and came away impressed with Wall beyond his
basketball skills.
“He was a good interview. Very personable. Gave good answers–and detailed
ones,” Wahl said in a podcast at tomleachky.com. “And really seemed
to be excited about being in Sports Illustrated. That’s good for him as he
looks toward the future and maybe tries to get endorsement deals down the road.
To have a personality that people find engaging is a good thing to have.”
Wahl says it’s rare for a freshman to take over games the way Wall has at
times this season and the writer says it’s equally rare for a player like Patrick
Patterson to handle the attention a younger teammate gets without developing
any jealousy. And Wahl was a bit surprised as how serious Wall takes his classroom
work.
But Big Blue fans should savor the chance to watch John Wall play the game,
because Grant Wahl is sure this is a one-and-done deal.
“The NBA player personnel director I spoke to says he thinks Wall is
the clearest number one overall pick in the last decade, other than Lebron
James,” Wahl said. “He said everyone in the NBA will tell you this
guy is the number one overall pick.”
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“It’s a big accomplishment. A lot of great players have been there. Mainly,
I want to thank the coaching staff and my teammates,” Wall told ESPN’s
college basketball writer, Andy Katz, in a podcast available on espn.com.
Katz asked Wall about the prospect of Kentucky matching the feat of the 2003
Syracuse team, riding a freshman (Carmelo Anthony) to a national title.
“We have a chance. That’s one of my goals I put on my list coming to
college. You try to win a championship at every level you can. We got a lot
of great players on this team. That’s our goal,” Wall said. “We know
it’s not going to be easy. We’ve been working hard every day to get better.
Coach Cal is pushing us and I’m going to keep pushing to be the best player
I can.”
Wall also said Patrick Patterson has been a big key to what the Cats are accomplishing.
“He’s been the big leader for us,” he said. “He told us what
the Louisvile game was going to be like. He told us what it was going to be
like playing at Indiana.”
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This isn’t the first time a freshman has gotten an abundance of acclaim at
Kentucky.
In the 1986-87 season, one of the most ballyhooed high school players ever
in the state, Rex Chapman, joined the UK program. Teammate Cedric Jenkins says
he sees some similarities between Chapman and the hype surrounding John Wall.
“Absolutely. Both are fierce competitors. Will do anything it takes to
win. And anytime they step on the court, there’s always one scene for the highlight
reel,” Jenkins said in a podcast on coachcal.com.
“Very down to earth. Always respectful,” he said of Chapman. “Was
confident, knew he was good but never was overly cocky. To this day, a lot
of respect for Rex.”
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The last time Mark Pope was on the court at Rupp Arena was for his Senior
Night game in 1996. Tomorrow, he returns as the basketball operations director
for new Georgia coach Mark Fox.
“I never saw myself on the coaching track. Didn’t think I’d have the
patience or skill to do it. But when I got away, I just missed it so much.
It’s where my heart is and what I’d like to do forever,” Pope said in
a podcast available at coachcal.com.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is how much of college basketball has
very little to do with basketball,” he added, referring to dealing with
academcs, recruiting, planning, boosters, administration, etc.
Pope started his college career at the University of Washington and Fox was
a graduate assistant there. Pope transferred to UK after a coaching staff change
and played two years for the Cats, including the ’96 championship year.
“I remember eveything about my experience at Kentucky. That was such
a rich, full experience. Every day was just a fantastic thing you’d dreamed
about your whole life coming true,” Pope said. “I still have to remind
myself that I got to go be a part of that.”
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Joker Phillips will be his own man as the new head coach of the Kentucky football
program, but former Shane Boyd says he shares at least one trait with outgoing
Rich Brooks–honesty.
“He’d give it to you real,” Boyd said of Phillips, “tell you
what you’re doing wrong and what you’re doing right.”
Boyd, whose younger brother, Aaron, is a sophomore wideout on the UK team,
says former players are excited about a former Wildcat like Phillips getting
this opportunity.
“It means a lot. He’s played the game of football in this state for years
and he’s made it to the next level. And it means a lot to see him get that
milestone of being the first African-American (football) coach here,” Boyd
said, adding that Phillips is well-equipped to succeed.
“He knows what buttons to push. These are different players from athletes
of old, maybe even when he was playing. He knows how to relate to players,” Boyd
said, “and get the best out of them.”
