Bledsoe’s Coach Not Thrilled With Wall Signing

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Ah, recruiting.  It’s usually about 90% BS.

Which is exactly what Kentucky signee Eric Bledsoe’s high school coach is calling on the idea that both Bledsoe and John Wall will share time on the court this season.

“Like I told Coach (John) Calipari, I can’t see them playing together,” said Maurice Ford.  “He said they can, but they both play with the ball in their hands.  I just don’t see it getting done.”

Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News asked the coach where that leaves his former star, a player who was clearly signed as point guard insurance should UK not land Wall.

“That’s my biggest question.  How much will he play?  I tried to get Eric to understand that.

“Me personally, I think he would’ve blossomed better at Memphis or Cincinnati, where he could walk in and be the point guard from Day One.”

Ford also has concerns about the two star recruits personalities.

“That’s the thing I’m leery about.  Eric is not a talker.  He’s not flamboyant.  From what I understand, John Wall is.  He plays to the crowd.  Eric doesn’t play to the crowd.  He might go through practice and not say two words.  Is he gonna get his minutes?”



First things first, it’s not unusual for a high school coach to campaign for his protege.  So I wouldn’t put too much stock in the fact that Ford is talking more about Bledsoe getting his minutes than he is UK winning games.

Also, we don’t know what kind of relationship Ford has with Calipari.  Did the coach rub Ford the wrong way?

Or — as is probably the case — did Bledsoe simply become the latest teenager to fall for a coach’s promises of playing time when the rest of the civilized world knew that those promises were empty?

I wrote on this site two weeks ago that Bledsoe was being viewed as a fallback plan for Kentucky in case they couldn’t ink Wall.  I’m surprised that the young man didn’t see that, but then again, if I were 18 and being recruited to Lexington, I’d probably eat what they were serving, too.

There is another angle to this.  Wall is expected to be a one-and-done player at UK.  Let’s say he is.  Then after a season of less-than-he-wanted playing time, the point guard job could be Bledsoe’s to lose in 2010-2011.

But no player… or his old coach… wants to hear that kind of talk.