Calipari downplays Wall's eligibility questions

Wall will have no trouble getting cleared to play, coach says

By Jerry Tipton / jtipton@herald-leader.com

John Wall addresses eligibility issue after scrimmage

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USA Today: Todd says school is trying to protect Wall amid probe

After coyly trying to deflect questions about John Wall's uncertain eligibility, Kentucky Coach John Calipari tried to downplay the significance of the heralded freshman's status.

"That's all stuff that is a private matter," Calipari said after UK's Blue-White Game Wednesday night.

That conveniently ignored the headlines generated since Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive told ESPN.com last Thursday that "amateurism issues" had to be resolved before Wall could gain full eligibility.

"There's probably 10 to 15 kids going through the same thing John's going through," Calipari said. "But he's been cleared. The other stuff they're looking at they're looking at with a lot of kids."

But Wall himself told USA Today on Tuesday that he had not gained full eligibility, and Calipari conceded, after a follow-up question, that saying the freshman had been cleared could be misleading.

"There's all kinds of different levels of clearance," Calipari said by way of affirming that Wall had not cleared them all.

Wall, who flirted with a triple-double (25 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds) in the Blue-White Game, leaned on a common term in the sports world: focus. Repeatedly, he said he was not "focused" on the eligibility status.

Did he think he'd play in UK's opener against Morehead State on Nov. 13?

"Right now, I'm not really focused on that," he said. "I'm focused on basketball and trying to be a student-athlete."

What was at issue?

"Right now, no comment," Wall said. "I'm just focusing on basketball and being a student-athlete right now."

Wall deviated from the script when asked whether he was disappointed not to be fully qualified.

After a pause, he said, "It just is what it is. Just something you have to deal with."

Another of the Blue-White Game's leading lights, Patrick Patterson, voiced "total confidence" that Wall will be fully eligible this season.

"Pretty much no one is really worried about it," Patterson said. "No one's paying attention to it."

No one told Kentucky players not to worry. "We have faith," he said.

The NCAA has said that a player in Wall's situation may practice but not play against outside competition until the eligibility problems are resolved.

Wall's association with AAU coach Brian Clifton is reportedly at the heart of the matter. Wall denied speculation that Clifton had moved to Lexington.

Calipari seemed to share Patterson's faith that Wall will play at the start of the season.

When asked whether he believed Wall would play against Morehead State, the UK coach said, "Sure. Yeah. I do. Yeah."