Name:

Daniel Orton

Position:

Center

Team:

Bishop McGuinness H.S., Oklahoma City, OK

Height:

6'10"

Weight:

260

Class:

2009

Potential College Choices:

Kentucky (verbal)

Profile:

These days, players like Daniel Orton are harder to find than Bigfoot.

He's a prototype center with real back-to-the-basket scoring ability from both low blocks and the court vision to pass out of a double-team. Unlike so many other big men these days, Orton doesn't want to play out on the perimeter and jack up threes -- he's most comfortable in the paint, where he can use his big body to overpower defenders or his quickness to evade them.


He's an able rebounder and shot-blocker as well, and should be an excellent "anchor" on defense.

As with many other prep big men, his conditioning could be better.

The major scouting services rank Orton in the top ten among 2009 recruits, and second among centers.

Orton and the Wildcats

Orton gave a verbal commitment to play for the Kentucky Wildcats -- a great "get" for UK coach Billy Gillespie. But as is so often the case when Gillespie is concerned, controversy followed. The complaints:

• Orton made his commitment while in town for Kentucky's early "Midnight Madness"
• According to reports, Orton's father and brother have both been paid to speak at Kentucky, and one or both may be up for coaching jobs with the school.

The early scheduling of "midnight madness" event and the practice of paying AAU coaches to speak at college events are both technically legal under NCAA rules -- for now.