“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 so. I don’t know. I just try not to listen to him and go out and play basketball and try and help my team win. 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.”

 

http://www.lex18.com/news/john-wall-is-frustrated/

Sounds like the pressure of leading his team may be getting to him.

He has probably just gone through the toughest and longest stretches of actually for the 1st time, being critiqued ie:Coached type practices in his life. Along with schoolwork. A lot of past UK teams have had Jan. slumps. I'm sure he is tired too. He is a Freshman and sometimes we forget that. He does seem like he has stopped smiling as much during games. He's tough, so I think he will be fine.

I'm confident that Coach Cal will still Wall down, and fix any problem there might be. He seems to do a great job of doing such things unlike his predecessor.

Wall just got slapped in the face by reality. He has a coach who is telling him, probably for the first time in the last 4 years, that he is not playing well. That he's not leading the team the way that he should. This is a call out to Wall to respond, but not through the press. He hasn't been terrible, he's been taken out by game plans. As a result, Cousins has become an All-American. He just needs to keep his unhappiness b/n Cal and himself.

This would have never have happened if he'd have gone to Duke. He'd still be undefeated and happy at the same time. Coach K doesn't have to use the press to call out his freshmen.

 

On a serious note, and yes, my first two sentences were tongue-in-cheek statements before you UK fans lose your minds, I was wondering how Coach Cal calling him out in the media would affect his mentality. He is still a freshman and while he is a leader of the team, you can't help but wonder if he finds happiness again. I guess this will put to bed all the rumors of him coming back to school, huh?

 

I also think that this is one area where Tubby Smith was an excellent Coach as he never allowed freshmen to talk to the media. Obviously Coach Cal will let the whole team talk, but it can be come a huge distraction if the Coach and his star freshman are going to start trading jabs through the media.

His skin better get thicker....he isn't a kid anymore. This is a big time business whether we like to think of it that way or not. He will be fine though...and if not, he will still be in the NBA next year and UK will continue on.

Wall just got slapped in the face by reality. He has a coach who is telling him, probably for the first time in the last 4 years, that he is not playing well. That he's not leading the team the way that he should. This is a call out to Wall to respond, but not through the press. He hasn't been terrible, he's been taken out by game plans. As a result, Cousins has become an All-American. He just needs to keep his unhappiness b/n Cal and himself.

 

This is very true needs to keep it between the 2 of them not public knowledge. This may or could hurt him inthe draft NBA wants someone they can coach or at least someone who does not air his dirty laundry to the public.

Wall just got slapped in the face by reality. He has a coach who is telling him, probably for the first time in the last 4 years, that he is not playing well. That he's not leading the team the way that he should. This is a call out to Wall to respond, but not through the press. He hasn't been terrible, he's been taken out by game plans. As a result, Cousins has become an All-American. He just needs to keep his unhappiness b/n Cal and himself.

 

I agree, but Calipari should practice the same policy. Calling out individual players in his post game radio remarks is not a good thing. That is something he should do in practice sessions.

Now, praising a player through the media is a different matter. I see that as a positive.

This is very true needs to keep it between the 2 of them not public knowledge. This may or could hurt him in the draft NBA wants someone they can coach or at least someone who does not air his dirty laundry to the public.

 

I doubt this will affect his draft status.

 

It's only natural for people to respond. Coach Cal started it, the media came to Wall and asked him about it. 99% of all 18-19 year olds would react and say the same things Wall said.

I agree, but Calipari should practice the same policy. Calling out individual players in his post game radio remarks is not a good thing. That is something he should do in practice sessions.

Now, praising a player through the media is a different matter. I see that as a positive.

 

I agree. I think all players would respond if interviewed by the media after being call out in such a manner. He can do more harm than good by calling out his players like that as opposed to having a closed door meeting with them away from the media.

For the first time in his life he is being told he hasn't played well or isn't the best on the court. That's all apart of going to college or pro.

For the first time in his life he is being told he hasn't played well or isn't the best on the court. That's all apart of going to college or pro.

I think another point is he thought the offense would be more dribble drive than it has been. UK has had to go to different sets to take advantage of their bigs inside. Plus teams are learnng how to play him, and he's seeing a lot of zone. Also it seems when he is able to speed past a defender toward the goal he is nearly always fouled, and many times hard. They're not going to allow him have an ESPN moment. That has to be frustrating to him.

I think another point is he thought the offense would be more dribble drive than it has been. UK has had to go to different sets to take advantage of their bigs inside. Plus teams are learnng how to play him, and he's seeing a lot of zone. Also it seems when he is able to speed past a defender toward the goal he is nearly always fouled, and many times hard. They're not going to allow him have an ESPN moment. That has to be frustrating to him.

 

Every player in the SEC will play him hard or foul him to prevent making top plays. No player wants to be on a poster getting dunked on.

If the young man indeed wants to turn pro next year, he had better learn to become much more thick skinned.