John Wall Represents a New Trend in Recruiting

Like a mirage tempting a thirsty traveler to water, John Wall's decision to narrow down his college choices has proved to be nothing more than your eyes playing tricks on you.

For weeks now, coaches, fans, reporters, and people like me with nothing better to do than await the decision of a 19-year-old, have been on the edge of our seats, waiting on the word from Wall.

The latest news that he appears to be adding yet another school to his tawdry list of suitors should be cause enough for all of us to just sit back.

Wall's recruitment is turning from event to fiasco, fast.

First, it looked like he was Memphis-bound, and then John Calipari left for Kentucky. At that point, Duke got into the mix, whereas they had previously been an afterthought in his recruitment. According to some, they quickly turned into the leader for Wall.

Even Roy Williams took time out of his push for a second national title to entertain the idea of Wall running the point in Chapel Hill next year.

I haven't even mentioned Kentucky, which most consider to be the favorite. Baylor, Miami, and NC State also contend.

Wall was to trim his list to three on Friday, but, instead, word came out Thursday that he was now looking at North Carolina Central as an option.

I'm no math professor, but that sounds a lot like addition to me.

Wall's complicated recruitment represents a new style in the way athletes are handling the recruiting process. 

High school athletes are viewing and selling themselves more as business commodities than ever before. They are taking longer to decide on which school to attend, and they are more frequently changing their minds.

The days of knowing where all the best prospects are going to go by the early signing period are over. Schools have to wait until the 11th hour on decisions that could make or break their seasons.

Every option is analyzed and every school is picked apart to see if it is the best fit and if it will give the player the best chance to be successful.

It used to be the other way around, where colleges picked apart each recruit, and while that still happens, it seems that the real power has shifted into the hands of the most gifted prospects.

This is grounds for some concern, as the pressure to win and be successful could create a slippery slope that leads to recruiting violations.

There have always been pressures to win, but now, more than ever, coaches are given a short rope with which to climb. If great strides aren't made quickly, then they cut you loose.

Mike Krzyzewski, after three years at Duke, was under fire, and while we all know how that turned out, he may not have been given the same amount of time if that occurred today.

Wall represents a program savior for some, a stabilizer for others, or the birth of prominence for those looking to make a name for themselves.

He isn't the first to cause a stir in the world of recruiting, and he won't be the last, but what he does represent is a changing tide that has yet to determine a course.