There’s been a lot of John Wall talk this year, and this here is its crescendo folks.
The nation’s No. 1 prospect wasn’t eligible for the McDonald’s game due to a bum provision that bars fifth-year seniors for playing. He threw down thunder on The World at this weekend’s Nike Hoop Summit. He even managed to indirectly cause NC State’s athletic department to violate the First Amendment (more on this later). Oh, and he now might be going to the NBA in a couple months.
Check out Tom Ziller’s detailed report for more of the nitty gritties. What ultimately will determine Wall’s NBA eligibility is his graduating class. Can he be considered part of the Class of 2008? This article of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is what League officials will have to mull over should Wall apply for early entry into the 2009 Draft.
The player (A) is or will be at least 19 years of age during the calendar year in which the Draft is held, and (B) with respect to a player who is not an international player (defined below), at least one (1) NBA Season has elapsed since the player’s graduation from high school (or, if the player did not graduate from high school, since the graduation of the class with which the player would have graduated had he graduated from high school);
If the goal of the one-year out of high school provision is to better prepare players, I’d bet on the League declining Wall’s application… and then quickly working to make it two years out of high school/20-year-old age minimum.
