Marlen Garcia of USA Today spoke with John Wall, and for the first time, he commented directly on the questions and investigation surrounding his college eligibility:

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall said Tuesday that he has been waiting for five months for the NCAA to decide whether he is eligible to play basketball for the Wildcats. He committed to Kentucky in May.

“I’ve just been waiting,” said Wall, who has been practicing with the team. “It’s a process you have to go through. I’m sitting back and relaxing.”

Wall said he couldn’t comment on specifics of his case. ESPN.com reported last week that Wall’s AAU coach, Brian Clifton, was a certified agent from 2007 to 2008. His association with Wall seems to be jeopardizing part or all of Wall’s eligibility this season.

Kentucky spokesman DeWayne Peevy said the school does not comment on athletes’ eligibility. NCAA spokesman Chuck Wynne said he could not comment on an ongoing case.

The ESPN.com report said the school had known about Wall’s situation for some time, but UK President Lee Todd told the Associated Press on Tuesday that he had no problem with the school’s handling of the case, saying it wanted to protect Wall and his family from news media scrutiny.

Wall said he’s not worried. “I try not to think about it too much,” he said. “I try to focus on being a student-athlete right now.”

Wall, the nation’s top high school senior for the Class of 2009, is expected to start and be a high-level player for the Wildcats under new coach John Calipari if he is eligible. Analysts for NBAdraft.net and DraftExpress.com expect Wall to be the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft if he leaves school early.