Kentucky Gets Bledsoe, Effect On Wall Unknown

New Kentucky head coach John Calipari finally got the point guard recruit he desperately needed this week: it just wasn't John Wall.

Alabama native Eric Bledsoe, a five-star recruit and the No. 3 point guard in the nation according to rivals.com, committed to the Wildcats on Wednesday.  Bledsoe's decision came down to Kentucky and Memphis, although the point guard had previously stated that Duke was his "dream school" and the Blue Devils had expressed interest in him.  Bledsoe, however, has had trouble gaining academic eligibility by the NCAA's standards, and although it appears that his grades should not prevent him from playing at Kentucky, it is believed that these difficulties might have influenced Duke's interest in Bledsoe.

Despite Duke's losing out on Bledsoe, his commitment to the Wildcats could be good news for the Blue Devils.  Raleigh's John Wall, the consensus No. 1 point guard in the country and the No. 1 overall prospect according to rivals.com, is believed by many recruiting analysts to be deciding between Duke and Kentucky, although his official list still stands at eight schools.  Many of those same analysts felt that Bledsoe might shy away from Kentucky if he felt Wall would commit there, as Wall would be the presumed starter at the position the two share.

However, Kentucky has stated that the commitment from Bledsoe has no bearing on their recruitment of Wall, and Wall is still expected to keep the Wildcats among his choices when he finally pares down his list and makes a decision.  Indeed, while it may be a challenge to get both players significant minutes this season, it is widely assumed that Wall will be a "one-and-done" player, while Bledsoe is not, and thus Bledsoe could enter the starting lineup as a sophomore.

Still, it seems unlikely that a five-star prospect like Bledsoe would be content with limited minutes his freshman year, especially when he likely would have competed for the starting job at Memphis after the Tigers lost Tyreke Evans to the NBA draft.

Meanwhile, despite numerous delays and his recent brush with the law, Wall is expected to narrow his list in the near future, possibly this week, and has stated that he intends to commit before the end of the late signing period on May 20th.

So, Blue Devil fans, how do you see Bledsoe's choice impacting Duke's pursuit of Wall?  Did Duke drop the ball in their pursuit of Bledsoe?  And, most importantly, who will be the Blue Devils' starting point guard come next season?