Gary Parrish

There is plenty of time to discuss how Kentucky fell behind by 18, why it failed to get back on defense early, and whether DeMarcus Cousins will ever start a game without picking up senseless fouls. Important issues, all of them. I'll address them at some point.

But first things first: How does John Calipari not foul Kenny Hayes?

(Stop me if you've heard this one before.)

Calipari's team was ahead by three points late, but rather than foul and send Miami (Ohio) to the line -- which is generally accepted as the proper way to handle the situation -- Calipari opted to let the players play, and the result was a Hayes 3-pointer that tied the score with six seconds remaining. It was the latest version of Chalmers for the tie ... Got it! -- the same sequence that cost Calipari the 2008 national title when Mario Chalmers hit a 3-pointer, forced overtime and helped Kansas to an eventual 75-68 victory.

The only difference this time: John Wall.

Man, what a clutch shot.

The freshman point guard and likely top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft struggled early, forced things and committed five turnovers. But when it was time to do it, he did it. The CBSSports.com Preseason National Player of the Year took the ball length of the court and sank a jumper with 0.5 second remaining. Final score: UK 72, Miami (Ohio) 70.

Far as debuts go, it was impressive.

Wall got 19 points (on nine field goal attempts), five assists and three steals.

More important, he made the non-foul not matter.

For that, Kentucky is fortunate.

Those who enjoy shaking their heads at inexplicable inconsistencies in how the NCAA enforces punishments ought to look at Kyle Veazey's blog at The Clarion-Ledger today. He notes that Mississippi State has been informed there will be no change in the nine-game suspension of John Riek for amateurism issues despite Rick Stansbury holding the freshman out of an exhibition against Oklahoma City.

The NCAA told MSU the exhibition will not count as a game.

So Riek was basically held out for nothing.

And that would make sense if not for the fact that missing an exhibition is helping fulfill Kentucky freshman John Wall's two-game suspension for amateurism issues. In other words, the NCAA ruled that an exhibition can count toward Wall's suspension but not toward Riek's suspension, and if you think the governing body had a good explanation, man, you must be crazy.

Of course there wasn't a good explanation.

Why?

Because there is no good explanation, that's why.

Honestly, I don't care either way. The NCAA can count an exhibition as one game of a suspension or not count an exhibition as one game of a suspension; doesn't matter to me. All I wish is that the exhibitions would be treated the same everywhere. Nothing more, nothing less.

John Wall's two-game suspension means the Kentucky freshman will debut Nov. 16 against Miami University.

He'll miss the exhibition against Cambellsville and the opener against Morehead State.

But that's it.

Kentucky freshman John Wall is facing eligibility issues because of his relationship with Brian Clifton, ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil and Pat Forde reported Thursday. According to the story, UK officials are "working feverishly" to clarify the situation, which stems from the fact that Clifton was a certified agent while also coaching Wall's summer league team.

CBSSports.com reported Clifton's background as an agent in August 2008.

He was the point man in Wall's recruitment.

CBSSports.com could not immediately reach UK coach John Calipari for comment. But a source familiar with the situation told CBSSports.com that Kentucky officials are confident the most likely scenario has Wall repaying an undetermined amount of money (for expenses Clifton incurred while accompanying Wall on unofficial visits) and possibly missing "a few games, maybe three or four." Kentucky's first four games are against Morehead State, Miami-Ohio, Sam Houston State and Rider. The Wildcats won't play a team ranked in the preseason Top 25 (and one) until they face No. 5 North Carolina on Dec. 5.

CBSSports.com tabbed Wall as its "Preseason National Player of the Year" earlier this month.

He is expected to be the No. 1 pick in next June's NBA Draft.

The SEC media poll and preseason awards have been released.

Kentucky is picked to win the league.

That's smart.

John Wall was voted Second Team All-SEC.

That's dumb.

In fairness, Wall actually finished second to teammate Patrick Patterson in the Preseason Player of the Year race with six votes, so five people besides me on the 25-person panel voted him that way. And yet Wall still somehow ended up Second Team All-SEC, which is crazy, and you'll see why in time, I'm certain. Speaking of, I have a friend who watched Kentucky practice recently. When it was over, he sent the following text: "Just done watching UK practice. Wow. John is incredible. Most vocal and best leader they have. "

So take that for what it's worth.

Anyway, the SEC Media Poll results are as follows:

(Click this link to view the ballot I turned in last week.)

SEC CHAMPION: Kentucky

SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Patrick Patterson

-- EASTERN DIVISION --

1. Kentucky
2. Tennessee
3. Vanderbilt
4. South Carolina
5. Florida
6. Georgia

-- WESTERN DIVISION --

1. Mississippi State
2. Ole Miss
3. Alabama
4. LSU
5. Arkansas
6. Auburn

-- FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC --

G: Devan Downey (South Carolina
G: Terrico White (Ole Miss)
F: Tyler Smith (Tennessee)
F: Patrick Patterson (Kentucky)
F: Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State)

-- SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC --

G: John Wall (Kentucky)
G: Chris Warren (Ole Miss)
G: DeWayne Reed (Auburn)
F: Tasmin Mitchell (LSU)
C: A.J. Ogilvy (Vanderbilt)

I just filed my SEC Basketball Preseason Media Awards ballot with the league office.

It looks like this:

-- SEC EASTERN DIVISION --

1. Kentucky
2. Tennessee
3. South Carolina
4. Florida
5. Vanderbilt
6. Georgia

-- SEC WESTERN DIVISION --

1. Mississippi State
2. Ole Miss
3. Alabama
4. Arkansas
5. LSU
6. Auburn

SEC CHAMPION: Kentucky

-- ALL-SEC TEAM --

G: John Wall (Kentucky)
G: Devan Downey (South Carolina)
F: Tyler Smith (Tennessee)
F: Patrick Patterson (Kentucky)
F: Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State)

SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: John Wall

* Kentucky and Tennessee are clearly the top two teams in the Eastern Division, and Mississippi State and Ole Miss are obviously the top two in the Western Division (though a reasonable man could have the Mississippi schools switched). Where this thing became difficult was when I tried to separate South Carolina, Florida and Vanderbilt. Those three could be in any order from third to fifth and it would make sense to me. But what's most interesting, I think, is how five of the six teams in the Eastern Division (everybody except Georgia) will enter the season with a realistic hope of making the NCAA tournament. My guess is that four of them will -- UK, UT and some two-team combination of South Carolina, Florida and Vanderbilt -- and it really should be fun to watch unfold.

Scout.com's Dave Telep is reporting that John Wall has achieved a qualifying standardized test score, meaning the star of Kentucky's top-ranked recruiting class is one step closer to being cleared to play as a freshman.

Is he in the clear yet?

No, not exactly.

Wall must still get through the NCAA's Clearing House. But most insiders have long believed the test score would be the biggest hurdle, and with that out of the way it now seems likely that the projected No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft will be running the point for John Calipari.

The following is a list of players who once told me or somebody like me that they planned to be college sophomores:

• Kevin Durant
• Mike Conley
• Derrick Rose
• Kevin Love
• Eric Gordon
• Michael Beasley
• Greg Oden
• Thaddeus Young
• Brandan Wright
• Dajuan Wagner
• Pretty much every one-and-done prospect

I bring this up today so that all Kentucky fans who are excited about the words of John Wall can calm themselves and understand that there's no way in hell he'll ever be a sophomore in college. No. Way. In. Hell. And it doesn't matter that he announced at a news conference that his "plan is to go to the University of Kentucky for the next two or three years."

Trust me, that plan will change next April when people tell Wall he's the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. It'll change faster than he can bring the ball up the court, and I'm sure Wall knows that as well as I know that. But for some reason incoming freshmen -- and this is not unique to Wall -- always think they have to tell people they're really interested in getting a college education and maturing, even when it's not true or necessary. Michael Beasley said it, and it was laughable. Dajuan Wagner said it, and it was insane. But the point is that they almost all say it and then almost all leave anyway. And I suspect John Wall will be exactly the same, as well he should and regardless of what he says.

John Wall has committed to play at Kentucky next season and given John Calipari another one-and-done point guard to help run the dribble-drive motion offense that turned Derrick Rose into the NBA Draft's top pick a year ago.

"It was a great job (Calipari) did the last two years with his guards,” Wall told Scout.com on Tuesday. "I think my relationship with Coach Cal pushed (UK) over. The other coaches did a great job, but that relationship got (UK) over."

Wall is the consensus top point guard in the Class of 2009.

DraftExpress.com has him projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

He chose Kentucky over Miami, Duke, Florida, Baylor and a host of other programs.

This development will make Kentucky the preseason SEC favorite and should have the Wildcats in position to steal some votes from Kansas for the top spot in many national polls. Assuming Jodie Meeks withdraws from the NBA Draft (he has until June 15 to do so), a possible starting line-up at Kentucky looks like this:

G: John Wall
G: Jodie Meeks
G: Darnell Dodson
F: Patrick Patterson
F: DeMarcus Cousins

It was not a surprise that Eric Bledsoe signed with Kentucky on Wednesday.

What was a surprise was the point guard's rationale.

Asked for the decisive moment in his recruitment, Bledsoe said it was when John Calipari told home he could "come in right off the bat and start." Problem is, the Wildcats are widely considered to be the leader to also land John Wall, and there isn't a point guard on any team in America who would start in front of Wall, Bledsoe included. So if Bledsoe wants to start, he'd better get to rooting for Duke or Miami or Florida to sign Wall, because if Bledsoe finds himself on the same roster as Wall he's going to find himself starting the game on the bench.

Which is fine, if he's OK with it.

And this has nothing to do with the quality of Bledsoe.

The guy is a high-level prospect who could start immediately for most high-major programs, just not any high-major program that also has Wall. It breaks down like this: Bledsoe has the potential to be a great college point guard who someday develops into a pro; Wall is a pro who will spend a year in college. That's the difference between the two, and the only way Bledsoe won't learn this soon is if Wall decides to enroll somewhere other than Kentucky.

Short of that, Bledsoe won't "come in right off the bat and start."

Rather, he'll start on the bench, where he'll watch Wall become the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Which is fine, if he's OK with it.

But if he's not, then he's being delusional.

John Wall, the nation's top-rated point guard who remains uncommitted, was been cited for breaking an entering by the Raleigh Police Department, WRAL out of Raleigh reported Monday morning.

The station reported that Wall was charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering in connection with an April 27 break-in at a home at 3924 Laurel Glen Drive in Raleigh. According to WRAL, an officer saw Wall leaving from the rear of the residence and was able to detain him. Two others were also charged -- one while walking along a nearby street, another when he returned to the residence.

How or if this will affect Wall's recruitment is unclear.

He is still publicly considering a number of schools -- among them Kentucky, Duke and Florida.

I've had a lot of emails and even phone calls asking about John Wall, so I suppose it's worth mentioning here that there is no indication that the fifth-year high school player declared for the NBA Draft.

The deadline to do so was Sunday.

The NBA will officially release the names Tuesday or Wednesday, and sources have said Wall's name will not be on that list. Meantime, Wall visited Miami this weekend and came away impressed, according to Scout.com's Evan Daniels. Still, there's not a person in the industry (outside of Miami) who believes Miami has a legitimate shot at landing Wall, and most believe the smart money remains on Kentucky and new coach John Calipari.

Either way, Wall is expected to trim his list of schools late this week.

Right now, he's still publicly considering at least six.

John Wall told Rivals.com on Wednesday that he will not enter the 2009 NBA Draft.

"I'm going to school for one or two years and trying to win a national championship," Wall said, and that might mean something if I hadn't spent years listening to one lottery pick after another swear they were putting off NBA riches only to reverse course a few weeks later. Mike Conley and Jonny Flynn come to mind, just off the top of my head.

So no, I do not believe this Wall-to-the-NBA story is over.

Not yet, regardless of what anybody says -- and the reason is because of Wall's 13-point, 11-assist, five-steal performance in Sunday's Nike Hoops Summit that made NBA people start to ask why the nation's top-rated point guard isn't seriously considering the NBA Draft given that there seems to be a loophole that would allow him to enter despite the fact that he's still technically a high school player.

According to the age-limit rule, an American-born player can be eligible for the draft if the player is at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft, plus one NBA season removed from his high school graduation or one NBA season removed from the date on which he should've graduated high school. Nobody is disputing that Wall is already 19, and sources have confirmed to CBSSports.com that he began high school in August 2004, meaning Wall should've graduated in May 2008, i.e., before this NBA season began. In other words, if Wall applied for the draft the NBA might really have to approve his application, and even if the organization initially fought Wall's inclusion industry sources believe there isn't a decent attorney who couldn't win a lawsuit based on the ambiguity of the rule.

Asked if he could imagine a scenario under which Wall's application for the NBA Draft would be denied, Sonny Vaccaro, a longtime person of influence in the sport, answered quickly. "No," Vaccaro told CBSSports.com on Wednesday night. "I'm going to say 'No' because I'm reading the rule."

Vaccaro said he has spoken with "a number" of NBA scouts in the past three days.

"They've all told me (Wall) would go in the top eight," Vaccaro said. "Nobody has said he'd go lower than eight."

Wall is now in New York preparing for Saturday's Jordan Brand Classic.

At tip-off, rest assured there will be many interested viewers.

"Somebody from every lottery team will be there," Vaccaro said. "There is no question in my mind."

Worth noting: The eighth pick in this NBA Draft will receive a guaranteed two-year contract worth roughly $4.3 million.

Credit North Carolina State compliance director Michelle Lee for asking a sensible question.

"I think nationally the NCAA needs to address further Facebook and how these groups play a part in recruiting," she said. "Is it realistic for us to be able to monitor them? What harm is a group like this causing? But as the legislation stands right now, this is the position we have to take."

Lee's quote was taken from Friday's story about Facebook and the supposed role it now plays in recruiting. It was in response to a group developed by an N.C. State fan called "John Wall Please come to NC State!!!!"

Is it realistic for us to be able to monitor them?

I love that question, because it shows N.C. State's compliance director has recognized what I've long insisted, that the NCAA would be better off worrying about legit and manageable problems instead of requiring cease and desist letters be sent to fans over stuff that doesn't really matter. Why worry about Facebook when agents are roaming campuses? Why worry about message boards when schools are funneling money to AAU coaches via Elite Camps?

And then there's this: What's to stop a Duke fan from starting a "John Wall PLEASE come to NORTH CAROLINA!!!!" group in an attempt to get North Carolina in trouble? Or, what's to stop a North Carolina fan from starting a group under the name "Coach K" that begs Wall to come to Duke in an attempt to get Duke in trouble?

The possibilities are limitless.

There's no reasonable way to control them.

And that's why the NCAA shouldn't worry with Facebook.

Because worrying with Facebook is a big waste of time and energy.

John Calipari has claimed he wants to someday produce an undefeated season culminating with a national title.

He might have a realistic opportunity on tap.

"I think Memphis is in the lead right now," John Wall, the nation's top point guard, told Scout.com's Evan Daniels on Monday night. "I think Memphis has been in the lead for a while."

Obviously, this could all change.

Baylor or Kansas or Miami could be Wall's "leader" tomorrow.

But Wall labeling Memphis his "leader" a day after DeMarcus Cousins committed to the Tigers qualifies as a news worthy development, because -- considering Xavier Henry has already signed with the Tigers -- it now appears likely that Calipari will have three top six recruits on his roster next season, specifically the nation's No. 1 point guard (Wall), No. 1 shooting guard (Henry) and No. 2 center (Cousins). In recent history, that sort of trio would compare favorably to Ohio State's 2006 class featuring the No. 4 point guard (Mike Conley), No. 2 shooting guard (Daequan Cook) and No. 1 center (Greg Oden), or North Carolina's 2006 class featuring the No. 1 point guard (Ty Lawson), No. 1 shooting guard (Wayne Ellington) and No. 1 power forward (Brandan Wright).