This Wall Stuff Is Real Madness

Is anyone else getting a decidedly Blue Chips feeling about the recruitment of John Wall?

I can just picture the slew of coaches after the services of Wall, frantically calling him and offering him the world to sign for what will amount to a few months of work.

In the movie Blue Chips, college coaches, many real ones making cameos, were drooling over Butch McRae, played by Penny Hardaway. They were seemingly, if not for the sake of the overall theme of the movie, willing to go to extraordinary means to get him to sign.

I see the same thing happening with Wall.

Now, I'm not suggesting that coaches are offering to get his mother a job or buy his uncle a tractor or a car, but the hype behind his recruitment is unbelievable.

And besides the NCAA one would think is slightly more adept at keeping a close eye on the recruitment of what many recruiting services have pegged as this class' best offering.

Sure, Wall has a world of talent and most likely will have a lucrative NBA career, but to see grown men fawn over an 18-year-old kid is fascinating if not a little disturbing.

Crazed fans flock to message boards and recruiting sites on a daily basis to see if Wall has made a decision. Every statement is analyzed and broken down word by word.

Duke, UNC, and Kentucky fan sites were blowing up yesterday when Roy Williams placed a call to Wall. When word got out, Duke fans were in a panic while UNC fans were excited about the possibility of getting into the mix for the most sought after point guard in this year's class.

These fans are grown-ups, too, and you'd figure they'd have jobs and families to spend their time worrying about. Yet they instead are focused, in some cases solely, on the decision of an 18 year old.

Wall will probably make a decision soon enough and when he does there is sure to be much hoopla over his choice. Duke fans believe he is the missing link to another run at a National Championship.

Memphis, err, Kentucky feels like with Coach Cal signing on that they are primed for an unbelievable class that will lead them back to the glory days. And UNC, who may loose Lawson to the draft, is hoping they might score another great point guard.

That is a lot of pressure on a young man, even one as talented as Wall. So I'm not sure who to feel more sorry for, the crazed fans, desperate coaches, or Wall.

This is the true March Madness.