Wink, nod could have a certain ring to them

SAN ANTONIO.

William Wesley is the uneasy symbol of this Final Four.

Worldwide Wes, as he is known, is neither a coach nor a player, but is just as essential to the game of college basketball.

He is the ubiquitous third party, the friend of the family whose teen is being recruited, the man who can make it all happen with a wink and a nod. He is the fixer, connector and facilitator.

His handiwork will be evident in the Memphis-Kansas national championship game in the Alamodome tonight.

Wesley took an interest in Derrick Rose back in the point guard’s prep days at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago because that is what he does.

He befriends up-and-coming players and introduces them to his world of coaches and players in high places and to all the right people who feed on the edge of the basketball business.

Wesley is plugged in to Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Allen Iverson, to cite a few of his more accomplished friends, and he in turn uses his access to them to solidify his access to the latest flavors of the month in basketball.

Rose qualifies as one of the latter. That he landed at Memphis did not come as a shock to those who follow the recruiting game, because the relationship between Wesley and Memphis coach John Calipari goes back 20 years by Calipari’s count.

“Recruiting is all about relationships,” Calipari said yesterday. “That’s how you get kids. You do well by them. You graduate them. You put them in positions to succeed on the court.”

And Calipari did just that with Dajuan Wagner, another of Wesley’s friends. Wagner spent one season at Memphis before moving to the NBA as a first-round pick in 2002.

Rose, projected as the possible No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft this June, is expected to be a one-and-done player as well.

That is fine with Calipari. He knows the deal. If you are going to recruit the nation’s top prospects — Calipari has only three players from Tennessee on his 12-player roster — you are destined to lose the best ones to the NBA long before their senior seasons.

He has attracted urban players who seemingly would be destined to destinations closer to home. He has players from Richmond; Baltimore; Detroit; Trenton, N.J.; Paterson, N.J.; and Charlotte, N.C.

Calipari has heard the talk that his program is less than pure, that his friendship with Wesley carries the hint of impropriety, that his players have a penchant for finding trouble, that he is a latter-day Jerry Tarkanian.

He cleans up the comparison to Tarkanian.

“I think it’s more about how our teams both play,” Calipari said. “And his teams also played in a [second tier] league like ours.”

Calipari makes no effort to explain the depth of his relationship with Wesley, whose actual employment is unknown. Wesley does not work for a shoe company or the NBA. He is not an agent or an AAU coach.

But he has no difficulty traveling to where he needs to be. If it is the Final Four to monitor the progress of Rose, he is there. If he needs to be in Cleveland to check in with James, he is there.

Wesley is said to have another basketball prodigy ready to attend Memphis, which is more important than all the X’s and O’s Calipari will scribble tonight.

This is the game that is played far removed from the bright lights and adoring crowds. Deals are made on the recruiting trail. Assurances are given.

Wesley has ties to Nike, and his personal attorney represents James. No one would be taken aback if Rose winds up with Nike and Wesley’s personal attorney after declaring to enter the NBA Draft.

Calipari’s payback to Wesley? Guarding the gate to Rose.

It also is possible that Wesley, being a charitable sort, just believes in Calipari and the Memphis basketball program.