Looking Towards 2010: There is going to be a lot of hype about the 2010 NBA Free Agent class, it's been building for the better part of 2 years and in the next six months, it's going to get sillier and sillier as teams make moves to get as much cap space as possible. The interesting part of next summer is that not only will 140 plus free agents be available for potentially the highest bidder, but the 2010 Draft class is going to be fairly impressive as well. Here are some of the names to watch for:

John Wall: There is almost no doubt that John Wall is the top overall selection in the 2010 draft, he will be the focal point of Kentucky's new offense under John Calipari and unless the 6'3 Wall falls flat on his face (unlikely) he's the best of the bunch for 2010. Wall has impressive athleticism, is a fairly decent on the ball defender and has an array of moves with the ball. His YouTube video's look like Streetball tapes with wicked crossovers and step back jumpers, but scouts who have seen most of his high school games say he has the complete package to be a quality NBA point guard. Wall will be on a very big stage this year in Kentucky, he's going to be hard to miss.

Derrick Favors: Favors looks to be the top big man in the class. At 6'9 Favors looks to be part of a very impressive Georgia Tech team that could make some noise this year. Favors is a legit post player, although his footwork and post moves are somewhat limited. Favors is an incredible above-the-rim athlete and is a very exciting player to watch. Of all the players with hype, Favors is going to have to show some skills this season in order to be the first big man off the board next June. There is little doubt he's a lottery pick as he stands today, how high he goes will be greatly influenced on how well he plays this season at Tech. He too will have a tremendous spotlight and will be hard to miss.

Willie Warren: Willie could have been a first rounder in this year's draft but he opted for another year at Oklahoma. Warren was the second option with Blake Griffin last year and this will be his year to prove he's an elite NBA talent. Warren was at LeBron James' Skills camp this summer (site of the infamous dunk) and was one of the most impressive offensive players in attendance. At 6'4 Warren looks every bit the part of an impact scoring guard. He is a bit undersized for the NBA's two guard position so Warren will have to show he is an elite scorer like Ben Gordon or that he is a playmaker at the next level. Warren could have a very James Harden type ride this season. Scouts know who he is and what he can do, now he just has to improve on his weaknesses (being a playmaker for others and better on the ball decision making) and stay healthy, if he can do both he'll be one of the top names called in June.

Patrick Patterson: Patrick tested the NBA waters this year and ultimately opted to return to Kentucky and should be a focal point for John Calipari's new system. The 6'8 Patterson is an amazing finisher around the rim and a decent post player, and was one of the most efficient players in the nation in the post. Patterson is shockingly right hand dominate – Synergy the top video scouting tool, charts 90% of Patterson's offensive plays as coming from his right hand. A strong season at Kentucky could do wonders for Patterson's stock as he was considered one of the top post players this year, he will have a big stage to showcase his game and he could be a top 10 player next June, he could be the prime candidate to unseat Favors as the first Big Man off the board.

Greg Monroe: At 6'11 and 240, Greg Monroe is a long athletic player and as this year's draft proved with 6'11 Austin Daye going 15th to Detroit and 6'10 Earl Clark going #14 to Phoenix – the NBA is enamored with long athletic players. Monroe was not a solid around the rim player last year which is likely why he opted for another year at Georgetown. Monroe has the dreaded "finesse" label which scouts use to say "not very tough". Greg will have to show some aggressiveness in his game this year and be a stronger finisher around the rim. If he can add that to his skill set already he should be a solid first round prospect this year and could go in that same 12 to 18 range other 6'11 players went this year.

Ed Davis: The North Carolina program will really be the Ed Davis show this year after losing three of their studs to the NBA. Davis was on the NBA radar last year, but really looks to be a focal point guy this year. Davis is a tremendous face up player and can shoot the ball pretty effectively. He'll need to showcase a wider range of skills to be a serious NBA prospect, but he should be someone to watch. At best Davis is a mid-first rounder, although if he does not show big improvements this year he may be best suited to stay out of the 2010 class as he could drop to other more proven players.

Al-Farouq Aminu: Al-Faroug may have missed his boat opting to stay at Wake Forest for another year. His teammates James Johnson and Jeff Teague were first rounders this year and now Aminu is left without a big supporting cast. Aminu was also at LeBron James' Skill academy this summer and was underwhelming according to reports. Aminu is going to need a strong showing this season to stay among the top names in the class, but with less talent around him at Wake next season Aminu could be in for a long season.

Gani Lawal: Gani tested the NBA waters this summer and opted for another season at Georgia Tech, he'll share the front court with Derrick Favors which means a lot of his games will be scrutinized more than last year. The biggest knock on Gani this year was consistency of his shots and ball handling. He is a monster around the rim and his knack for strong play in the post offsets his smaller frame (6'9 in shoes). Another strong season at Tech and Gani could cement himself as a legit first rounder; a breakout season at Tech could move him into the Top 15. The Detroit Pistons were very high on Gani in the draft process don't be surprised if they are at every one of his games this season.

Solomon Alabi: Alabi looks to be among the top center prospects in the country, he measures in over 7'1 and is coming along as a basketball player. The Nigerian born Alabi had a reasonable season last year for a Florida State team that was tops in the ACC. Alabi will have to show a lot of progress this season to be a serious prospect, but as previous drafts have proven, the NBA will draft project centers and Alabi could be one of those next June. Alabi is an extremely raw player, so marketed improvement this season will likely be the measure on whether he's on track for the NBA. Alabi could be a player that needs two more seasons before heading to the NBA especially if Hasheem Thabeet (a good comparison player), this year's project, doesn't pan out.

Cole Aldrich: At 6'11 and a true center Cole is going be mentioned as a top 15 prospect all year. He sniffed at the NBA this summer but opted for another season at Kansas. The problem with Aldrich is he is simply big, he is not overly skilled or polished, and he is not the proven commodity that say Blake Griffin was this time last year. Aldrich needs a strong season at Kansas and to show that he has a skill set that not tied to being tall – improved footwork, a better offensive array and more fluidness to his game. Aldrich's name will be on the prospect lists, but his game does not translate well today, and improvement this year will go a long way toward proving if he can be a first round player. He is a guy to watch, he just may not be a guy taken in the first 15 picks.

why would you do this to yourself?

John Wall and Willie Warren are really the only guys on my radar going into the year. And we know this team is destined for 35 wins anyway, so we're looking at a future bust like Greg Monroe with the 7-10 pick

Posted by SupremeCommander:

John Wall and Willie Warren are really the only guys on my radar going into the year. And we know this team is destined for 35 wins anyway, so we're looking at a future bust like Greg Monroe with the 7-10 pick

That is, IF we only had a pick (he meant to say)...

Well, at least we know Utah might get somebody real good to play next to David Lee.

TMS, Hill will be OK, but watching him flail helplessly against a monster in McGee... that was tough to watch.

Put it this way; if I was Hill's mom, I would have taken him off the court for fear that he would either get his pride or his skeletal structure irreparably damaged.

It is further magnified because losing this year will only give Utah a better pick, so if Hill is a raw project then that's tough to swallow. He's also older than most of the other prospects.

This team is just a mess at the moment. There's no getting around it. When they say they need Gallo and Chandler to come up huge, they aren't kidding.

Stephen Curry shot the ball like garbage in SL & i seem to remember alot of you were pretty damn high on us even trading away an asset like Wilson Chandler to move up to take him at #5... i guess he's a bust already too?

Posted by JohnWallace44:

TMS, Hill will be OK, but watching him flail helplessly against a monster in McGee... that was tough to watch.

Put it this way; if I was Hill's mom, I would have taken him off the court for fear that he would either get his pride or his skeletal structure irreparably damaged.

It is further magnified because losing this year will only give Utah a better pick, so if Hill is a raw project then that's tough to swallow. He's also older than most of the other prospects.

This team is just a mess at the moment. There's no getting around it. When they say they need Gallo and Chandler to come up huge, they aren't kidding.

and Tim Thomas dunked so hard in Anthony Randolph's face he cried and had to come out of the game. Which one do you want on your roster?

I am very happy with both our picks and think both will be good players for us. How good? Who knows.. way way way to early to make comparisons. I do think Chandler is next coming of Danny Granger and this year's step will be telling.

Posted by Ira:

Cole Aldrich: At 6'11 and a true center Cole is going be mentioned as a top 15 prospect all year. He sniffed at the NBA this summer but opted for another season at Kansas. The problem with Aldrich is he is simply big, he is not overly skilled or polished, and he is not the proven commodity that say Blake Griffin was this time last year. Aldrich needs a strong season at Kansas and to show that he has a skill set that not tied to being tall – improved footwork, a better offensive array and more fluidness to his game. Aldrich's name will be on the prospect lists, but his game does not translate well today, and improvement this year will go a long way toward proving if he can be a first round player. He is a guy to watch, he just may not be a guy taken in the first 15 picks.

Let me give you Aldrich's stat line. In 30 mpg, he scored 15 points, 11 boards and 2.7 blocks while shooting 60%. In one NCAA tournament game, he had 20 boards and 10 blocks. So what is it that he has to prove? He's already proven he can score, board and block. He's not a bad passer and he gets to the line a lot. He's already proven a lot. If he's able to improve over those numbers, he'll be a star. I would have much rather taken Aldrich than the guy we got with the eighth pick this season.

Didn't Aldrich get destroyed by Hill in a game last year?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=283580012