Duke: It's "Wall" or Nothing

It’s official now, Duke gets John Wall, or they can kiss any title run goodbye next season. Yes, he’s that important.

Today, point guard Eric Bledsoe, picked the Kentucky Wildcats, leaving John Wall the last solid point guard still uncommitted. A while back, we talked about whether the Duke coaching staff was making a mistake going after one-and-done Wall over Bledsoe (assuming he could qualify). Sure Wall is a lot better and can step right in and make an impact, but Bledsoe isn't half bad either.

The 6-1 point guard from Alabama is a pass-first guard, who knows how to get into the lane (something Duke clearly needs now). He nearly averaged a triple-double in high school: 20.3 points,  11.5 assists, and 9.4 rebounds per game. Whether he could have led Duke to a championship this season is surely questionable, but it would be hard to argue against the fact that he would have been the best point man from day one.

This leaves John Wall. Obviously, there are concerns about his recent run-in with the law, but trust me, it’s not a big deal. It appears he and some friends entered a vacant house, looking for a place to hang out with some ladies.

While I think Bledsoe to Kentucky helps the Blue Devils in the John Wall recruiting saga, my personal opinion has always been that wherever Calipari landed, that’s where Wall would end up…and that hasn’t changed.

Sadly, I can see Calipari convincing Bledsoe that a year on the bench behind Wall would be good, allowing him to take over the point guard duties in 2010 after Wall leaves for the NBA. I can see Coach Cal convincing Wall of this scenario as well.

I hope I’m wrong. I really do, but after seeing Duke get burned by top-notch talent the last few years, I’m not confident the coaching staff can close the deal.

Having said that, I still believe that it would be a smart thing for John Wall to come to Duke. First, he’ll start from day one for a veteran team and he’ll get to compete for the title now. Second, he’ll be on television nearly every game. Third, there is no better uniform to wear to improve his slightly battered image.

Let’s hope and let’s pray, because if Henderson decides the NBA is the right way (that’s where I’d put my money), Duke will have no true point guards next season, and only three guards total (Scheyer, Smith and Williams).