UK’s Wall Trying “Not To Listen” To Calipari?
February 1st, 2010 ║ Posted By: John Pennington ║ Permalink ║ Tags: Kentucky
It’s the kind of quote that journalists love. It’s the kind of quote that makes a fan get a dull ache in his stomach. It’s the kind of quote John Wall made after Kentucky’s win over South Carolina on Saturday.
Last week, John Calipari said that Wall didn’t play well against South Carolina. Here’s the quote from Wall post-Vandy:
“I didn’t think I played that bad. I don’t know what to expect. He’s probably going to say I played bad today, too. I just try not to listen to him and go out and play basketball and try and help my team win.”
Wow.
He also went on to say, “To be honest, I really haven’t been having fun for the last two weeks. It’s just being frustrated and things like that, so I just got to figure it out before we go further in league play.”
John Clay of The Lexington Herald-Leader says that first quote is the kind of remark you get from a player who’s not used to be criticized. He also points out that SEC coaches are smart enough to keep making life tougher and tougher on the talented freshman.
On both fronts, Mr. Clay is absolutely spot-on.
At the same time, it’s important to remember that Wall isn’t as emotionally mature as his skills would suggest. He plays like a 25-year-old NBA vet. In reality, he’s a 19-year-old who’s just about 20 games removed from high school.
Being able to deal with adversity on the court and criticism off it isn’t easy. It takes time for a person to develop those skills. Certainly more time than it takes to learn the dribble-drive.
I don’t see Wall’s “I just try not to listen to him” comment as a sign that UK is anywhere near unraveling in the lockerroom. No one in Big Blue Nation should be looking for the panic button just yet.
That said, Wildcat fans would be wise to keep a close eye on Wall and his demeanor in the games ahead. If he does not quickly get back to the “greatest player ever” form he displayed early in the season, how will he respond?
And if Calipari dares to criticize him again, how will he respond to that?
