Would John Wall "Fit" UNC's Strict Guidelines Now?

North Carolina could have used a point guard upgrade this season. John Wall, the top rated player in the 2009 class, blossomed in UNC's backyard - just down the road at Raleigh. Truth be told, Roy Williams likely could have landed Wall with some effort. I can't say for fact that Wall would have landed at Chapel Hill, but I can guarantee he would have liked to be desired by the UNC program. When it came down to it, however, Coach Williams stated simply that Wall "just didn't fit..." the North Carolina program. A few weeks into the season, Williams stated that Wall is the best college point guard he's witnessed since Jason Kidd. So, a player the caliber of a Jason Kidd just isn't a good fit for North Carolina basketball? Fast forward to March 1 (today): Kentucky is sporting a 27-2 record, a likely No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and is ranked #3 in the nation in both major polls. Not to mention, an early-season victory over Coach Roy and the Tar Heels. North Carolina, on the other hand, is hanging on to a 15-14 overall record and are in a 3-way tie (4-10) for last place in the ACC. We entered the season expecting a race with UNC to all-time win No. 2,000. Heading into this week, the Tar Heels are STILL stuck on 1,999 and the Wildcats are pushing 2,020. If Carolina manages to lose another game or two, Kansas could potentially beat them to the 2,000-win plateau. Williams' decision to pass on Wall left the teams' point guard position in the hands of Larry Drew II. Here is an individual comparison of Drew's season and John Wall's freshman season at Kentucky: Drew: 28.1 MIN, 8.9 PTS, 2.6 REB, 6.0 AST, 3.2 TO, 0.9 STL Wall: 34.6 MIN, 16.8 PTS, 4.2 REB, 6.2 AST, 4.1 TO, 1.8 STL Here's a key - Drew's statistics in North Carolina's 14 losses: 34-113 (30%) FG, 14-28 (50%) FT, 11-45 (24.4%) 3PT, 3 REB, 5.1 AST, 3.9 TO The legendary Magic Johnson recently called Wall the best floor leader as a freshman that he has watched in recent memory. An ESPN analyst recently called Drew a player that is not ready to lead a high-level ACC program. Ouch. I should also add that Wall has been the epitome of a great college player on, and off, the court. He goes to class, makes good grades and represents the University of Kentucky in a positive manner. He makes himself available and approachable to fans and supporters and from my personal experience, it is a refreshing experience to talk with Wall. What else could a program ask for? I don't know what kind of standards they have in North Carolina, but I'll take John Wall on my team any time. I have to wonder to myself: if 'Ol Roy (the same coach that had a Presbyterian fan removed from a blowout because he was vocally supporting his OWN team) had it all to do over again, would he "lower" his standards to allow a kid like John Wall to play for his program? Make sure you check out the latest KSR Podcast (Good Stuff) [podcast]/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Blacksburg.mp3[/podcast] For coverage of all basketball in the state, check out my site