UK lands touted center
Fans get assist in recruitment of 6-10 Orton
Highly regarded prospect Daniel Orton proved the power of prayer, including his father’s communion with the almighty, by committing to Kentucky on Sunday.
“I was hoping and praying,” his father, Larry Orton, said after the announcement in a Lexington hotel lobby.
A reporter asked why the prayer for Kentucky when his son had plenty of good choices (including Texas, Connecticut, Ohio State and Kansas). “But none better than Kentucky,” said the elder Orton, who wore a blue sweatsuit to the announcement. “I think Kentucky basketball is it.”
Judging by Orton’s official campus visit this Big Blue Madness weekend, UK fans think the big man from Oklahoma City, Okla., is it.
Fans chanted his name repeatedly at Big Blue Madness. When he arrived at a public pickup game on Saturday morning, the fans gave him a standing ovation.
“Everybody had already told me the fans were crazy about basketball,” Orton said. “That really sealed the decision. It let me know how serious they are about basketball.”
Another factor led Orton to decide on Friday to throw his lot with Kentucky. Kansas Coach Bill Self called him to say the Jayhawks were giving their last available scholarship to another big man, Thomas Robinson.
“Kentucky wasn’t the backup plan,” Orton said. “But that made the decision a lot easier. … I think (Self) thought and my parents thought I’d be really upset. It really did not bother me too much. Not at all.”
While his father spoke of Kentucky as incomparable to other programs, a reporter noted that Kansas merely won the 2008 national championship.
“That was last year,” Larry Orton said. A moment later, the elder Orton added, “We’re going to win one here.”
Larry Orton said his son, at age 9 or 10, told him he’d win four straight high school state championships.
“He’s won three straight championships in high school and working on a fourth,” the father said. “And he told me he’s going to get a NCAA championship, then a NBA championship, and he’s done.
“If Daniel tells me, I can’t go against him. Everything he tells me happens.”
Rivals.com rates Orton at No. 22 nationally (and Robinson No. 18). Rivals analyst Jerry Meyer noted Orton as a “really big presence” at 6-foot-10 and about 260 pounds.
“Where he can really improve and help Kentucky out is to become a better low-post scorer,” Meyer said. “He’s a little underdeveloped. The difference between him and other big guys is he doesn’t score the ball at the same level.”
Orton thrilled the Kentucky fans who watched the pickup games on Saturday. He appeared completely comfortable competing against college players.
“I think he’s one of the three or four best high school big guys in the country,” said analyst Brick Oettinger of Prep Stars, which also rates Orton at No. 22. “He’s a terrific catch for anybody. Kentucky can certainly use him and he’ll make a difference.”
Orton said that UK Coach Billy Gillispie had told him “plenty of times” how the Cats would use the big man.
“The big guys, they really touch the ball as much as the guards do,” Orton said he was told. “And most of the offense is run through them.”
Of course, that’s the role presently filled by sophomore Patrick Patterson, who may turn pro after this 2008-09 season. When asked if he’d play with Patterson, Orton said, “I really don’t know. It’s his decision, but I’d love to. He’s a really good player.”
Patterson played a role in the recruitment of Orton during the weekend visit and earlier.
“Realizing how all the people know him and love him, that really helped me out,” Orton said.
Orton spoke of Patterson as a recruiter.
“Not with what he said,” the prospect said. “Just the fact he kept in contact with me. He really showed an interest in me. That really helped me.”
A question now is how long Orton will play for Kentucky. “Most people are talking of me staying one or two years,” he said. “But it just depends on how everything goes.”
He noted how his brother, Terrence Crawford, sustained multiple injuries and stayed at Oklahoma State five seasons.
“I hope that doesn’t happen to me,” Orton said of the injuries. “We’ll have to wait and see. Players have to do what’s best for them.”
Orton’s father joked about an early entry in the NBA Draft. “Actually, I’d love to see Daniel redshirt,” the elder Orton said. “I’d love to see him stay five, six, seven years and grow up.”
More seriously, Orton’s father added, “If it comes and it’s there and everything’s right, we can sit down and talk about it.”
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