Wall's focus on state title

There is no answer to the No. 1 question at the GlaxoSmithKline Invitational this year.

John Wall said he doesn't know where he is going to school.

The nation's top-ranked point guard and the top-ranked player in the country by rivals.com thinks less about recruiting than fans.

"Nothing has changed," Wall said before scoring 16 points in Raleigh Word of God's 67-41 victory over Rocky Mount.

"I'm concentrating on the team and our season. Our goal is to win the state title."

His list includes Baylor, N.C. State, Duke, Oregon, Kansas and Memphis, he said, before adding he was uncomfortable giving the list off the top of his head because he might omit someone.

Word of God coach Levi Beckwith said Wall is is preparing in his own way for his decision.

"John has let the schools know that he doesn't want to be pressured," Beckwith said. "If a school needs to get a commitment now from a point guard, then they should do that. John understands.

"But John isn't ready to decide."

Beckwith said Wall knows his decision will make some people unhappy.

"If John decides he wants to stay close to home, that's a good reason," Beckwith said.

"If he decides to go to Baylor because of Dwon Clifton [Wall's former club coach], that's a good reason.

"If he decides to go to Memphis because of Derrick Rose [Memphis' former point guard and the No. 1 NBA draft pick in 2008], that's a good reason.

"John has a good reason to go to any of the schools that he is considering. Not good reasons for anybody else maybe, but good reasons for him."

Wall put on a show during a dunking contest at the City of Palms event in Fort Myers, Fla.

He wasn't expected to enter but Wall's teammates persuaded him to represent the school.

For his first dunk, Wall stationed 6-foot-3 teammate Jarvis Denning about 4 feet in front of the basket and then leaped over him to dunk.

Denning was standing straight up, not sitting and not slouching. Wall went over the top, straddling Denning.

Wall said he had clowned around with a similar dunks last summer with his club team but had never attempted it in a competition.

In fact, he had never been in a dunking contest.

For his final dunk, he put the ball between his legs in midair en route to the basket.

He had tried that one once in practice and missed it, he said.

He amazed the GSK Invitational crowd, too. Once a lob pass seemed impossibly high, but he kept rising and slammed the ball through.

He made a perfect between-the-legs bounce pass that covered the width of the court.

Such plays come naturally to him, but he has had to learn to deal with his national attention.

He is getting used to having microphones thrust on him and television cameras rolling.

"I want to give God all the praise and glory for what he has allowed me to do," Wall said. "I know I have been blessed. I'm glad to have the opportunity to tell people that."

He is more at ease now.

His mother was hospitalized this fall and had a successful operation for an aneurysm on Dec. 19.

"I feel good now. Maybe the celebrity thing is a little much -- I'm still just a kid -- but I know I've been blessed," Wall said.

SHELLEY TO TIDE: Jeremy Shelley, a place kicker on the Broughton High football team, has accepted a walk-on invitation from the University of Alabama.

Shelley is expected to enroll in summer school at Alabama.

Shelley also played on the Broughton men's soccer team.