John Wall promises new Kentucky

"He'd text me and ask me what schools I was interested in," Wall said of Orton. "At the time, I didn't think I was going to come here at all to be honest. It's kinda crazy but I'm really happy with the decision I made."

Then-UK coach Billy Gillispie was ousted after just his second season in Lexington and the UK brass brought in Memphis coach John Calipari. Wall's relationship with Calipari is what ultimately brought him to the Bluegrass.

"My relationship with Coach Cal was first and foremost, but what he did with Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans in the past as point guards, that played a big role," Wall said.

Wall said he remembers the exact moment he knew he wanted to play for Kentucky.

"I remember I was sitting in my living room with my AAU coach and my mom thinking, 'I already know where I want to go.' It felt good. It was tough to tell the other schools 'no' but I just felt happy. I wasn't stressed anymore. It was a big relief. It was like taking a pain reliever and got rid of your headache."

At a place like Kentucky, players already enjoy rock star status spanning from around campus to across the state. But for Wall--possibly the most hyped UK freshman since Jamal Mashburn--he's amassed a cult following.

"You feel like a celebrity," Wall said. "Every time, everywhere we go they want autographs or want to shake our hands and say good luck this season."

Being looked at as some sort of basketball savior, Wall recognizes the mantle he's been given.

"I feel the pressure but I'm used to taking the pressure on," Wall said. "I feel like the pressure is on the whole team to bring Kentucky back. We're trying to bring Kentucky back to where it was."

Since arriving on campus, Wall and fellow freshman point guard Eric Bledsoe's head-to-head match-ups have been the stuff of legend. Wall calls Bledsoe "one of the best point guards I've ever went up against."

"We battle toe-to-toe to make us better. Everybody said, 'you can't have two of the top point guards at the same school' and I think we've done fine ever since the first day we came here. He helps me out and I help him out. 

At first glance, Wall said he felt a bit of animosity between the two, but as soon as they stepped on the court, things took a turn.

"I knew the first day we saw each other we were probably thinking certain things. We thought we were going to compete and not get along until you really know somebody. We got on the court and I saw how competitive he was and he saw how competitive I was and we got on the same page. It seemed like from there we were cool. We're like brothers. If we weren't on the same page, I think it would have been tough for the team."

Wall says there isn't much difference on the court between he and Bledsoe, who has drawn rave reviews from his play over the summer as well.

"He's a more physical point guard and he changes speeds pretty good. Other than that we're basically the same."

While some early projections have already penciled Wall in as the top overall pick in next summer's NBA Draft, Wall says he is trying to stay in the moment.

"It's pretty tough," Wall said. "You just have to stay humble and hungry and try to keep that off your mind and worry about that after. I'm just going to take it as it comes. If I'm the point guard I'm supposed to be this year, then that will take care of itself."

Wednesday Wall spoke of putting Kentucky basketball where it belongs. And if you ask any Kentucky fan where that is, it's up in the Rupp Arena rafters. But that won't come without sacrifice.

"Every time I sit in that locker room or step on the court, I think this team has the chance to be great and make a run at a national championship," Wall said. "To have another point guard like Eric that can push the ball and then we know we have wing players to make shots and Pat (Patterson) and DeMarcus (Cousins) can score. Most teams you don't have a key player at each spot. Everyone on our team can be a star player. We're all used to scoring 20-25 points a game. We have to make sacrifices. That's what we're going to have to do to become a team."

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