New names emerging as options for Calipari's 2010 class

by Paul Jordan

Everyone knows the main targets for Kentucky’s 2010 recruiting class but with the news that John Calipari may have as many as eight openings on his roster next year, new names are popping up as possibilities for UK’s roster next year.  Let’s take a look at a couple of names that are starting to emerge.

Chris Fisher from Kentucky Ink gets credit for uncovering this possibility.  Word is that Kentucky may be looking at Illinois big man Paul Bunch.  Bunch, who is 6’11, is currently attending a prep school in Illinois and is rated as an 88 prospect and as the 32nd best center in this class.  He definitely has the feel of a project his first year or so, but you get the sense he can blossom into a nice three or four year player.  ESPN had this scouting information on Bunch: (the last update was from 2007, so you get the sense this kid is a real under the radar prospect)

Paul Bunch is a developing post prospect. He is already 6-11 and projects to be over 7-0. He has good hands and he can run the floor fairly well. There are times when he is active on the glass and he is certainly capable of becoming a high-level post prospect. Bunch really needs to work a lot harder on his game. He needs to play hard all the time and work hard all the time. There are times when you watch him play where you do not even recognize that he is on the floor. He needs to run all the time, post hard all the time and rebound all the time. With that being said, he is young and he is still figuring out how to play. He is 6-11 and has a great frame. With work, he can become an outstanding player, he just needs to show the fire and desire to develop.

Chris Hill is another less heralded prospect from North Carolina and he is rated a 93 player by ESPN and a borderline **** athlete.  He has good size at 6’8 however and there is speculation that Kentucky has offered Hill a scholarship for next season.  Here is what ESPN had to say about Hill:

Hill is an explosive athlete who showed great potential on both ends of the floor this weekend. Offensively, he was very aggressive, consistently attacking the rim and refusing to settle for contested jumpers. He is a power slasher who can drive through contact or elude it en route to the rim with pro hops and jump stops. He handles some in the open floor and is an absolutely phenomenal finisher in transition. While he shot very few jumpers this weekend his technique looked sound. Defensively, he guards only in spurts, and blatantly cherry picked a couple of times, but shows the ability to be able to defend the ball inside and out when he wants to. Similarly, his athleticism allows him to rebound in traffic whenever he decides to. Hill’s most glaring weaknesses are mental as he doesn’t play hard on every possession and plays with a little too much emotion at times.

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