John Wall proudly carries Washington, D.C. with him everywhere he goes, so it’s no surprise that was part of his reasoning for becoming Howard University’s president of operations for men’s basketball.
Wall, in a recent sit-down interview with ESPN’s Jay Harris, explained the various things that drew him to Howard.
“Coach [Kenny] Blakeney, what he’s done with the Dream Factory is incredible,” Wall said. “They won their first NCAA tournament game last year; we’re trying to win more. They’re not satisfied with just one.”
Blakeney and the Bison defeated UMBC 86-83 in the First Four for HU’s first tournament win. They also gave eventual national champion Michigan a game for more than a half before falling 101-80 in the first round.
Wall also explained that his goal is to be an NBA general manager, and he felt a program such as Howard was the best place to begin that journey.
“When it comes to basketball talent, we can all pick that out and figure out what’s going on,” he said. “But can we put a team together? Can we understand the business? Why do the numbers match up the way they do? That’s why I took the opportunity.”
No bigger platform for The Dream Factory than @sportscenter.
Shoutout to Jay Harris for the interview with our president!#dreamfactory🦬🔵🔴 #howarduniversity pic.twitter.com/Vx566OGW5c
— Howard Men’s Basketball (@HUMensBB) June 28, 2026
