When Will Daniel Orton End His Recruitment?
This is an update from Jim Calhoun's Elite Camp day 1. It goes in detail about some background information on the kid. A really nice read. His father said that he would like his son to end his recruitment this fall, however Orton said that it would likely be spring before a decision is made.
Jim Calhoun and the UConn men's basketball team's coaching staff welcomed 25 local and national recruits to Gampel Pavilion Sunday for the first day of Calhoun's elite camp. Here are a few notes and observations, in addition to those in today's story:(1) Daniel Orton, the top-10 prospect out of Oklahoma City, is a beast. At 17 years old (he'll turned 18 on Aug. 6), he looks 25, and his 6-foot-10, 267-pound frame proves as much. Why 267? At least, that's what he weighed at Sunday."It depends on what day it is," Orton said, drawing a chuckle from the ground of reporters around him. "I can be 265, 270."
Some key things to know about the Scout.com 5-star recruit:a) At the moment, Orton, ranked No. 10 overall in the Class of 2009 by Rivals.com as well as the No. 2 center, has been praised for his defensive skill set, and says he draws parts of his game from past UConn defensive stalwarts such as Emeka Okafor and Hilton Armstrong, as well as Charlie Villanueva. That said, his offensive game has room to grow, though there certainly is loads of upside. In the few hours I got to see him Sunday, he showed off a number of powerful dunks in drills as well as good instincts around the rim during a scrimmage, including some pretty interior passing.
Orton said he's working primarily on refining his jump hook this summer "because I figure in high school, I can get those down over the small 6-4, 6-5 guys.""I have to say so right now, yes (my defense) is (the best part of my game), but I'm improving everything," Orton added. "I'm trying to become an all-around player. My offensive game has come a long way and it's developing really well. I like it."b)
Orton has his list of schools down to seven: UCLA, Kansas, Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, UConn and Kentucky. He's not sure which ones he'll make an official visit to, though he said he plans to wait until the spring to declare."That's something new," his father, Larry said. "I would like him to get it over with in the fall (during the early signing period). I thought he wanted to get it over with in the fall. But you know kids, they change every day."So far, Orton said he's yet to visit Ohio State, Texas and Kansas unofficially."I know he went to Kentucky and really liked it," Larry Orton said. "The fans were great. (Oklahoma State), he grew up as the ball boy at OSU because my son (Terrence Crawford) played there (between 2000 and 2005)."Orton said playing time is a significant factor for him as a freshman, as he is looking to stay one, maybe two years, in college. With Hasheem Thabeet seemingly a lock to leave following this season (barring injury) and Jeff Adrien guaranteed to leave (graduation), there would be immediate opportunity for Orton in Storrs. It's notable, too, that UConn has never had a one-and-done.
"But I look for a college that I can see myself at for four years because you never know what can happen," he said. "You can get hurt, you never know what can happen."c)
Why has UConn caught his eye? For one, the Huskies put players in the pros, and "the development of the big men, I really like that," Orton said.Larry Orton, who said his family plans on moving to wherever Daniel goes to school, has also taken a liking to UConn, he said."I think it's excellent," he said. "It's what we thought it was, one of the top three programs in the country. ... (The campus) kind of reminds me a little of OSU because it's kind of sitting in the back when you get of the highway. The campus is really nice. And I grew up on the East coast. I was telling the young lady that picked me up that it reminded me a lot of home and where I grew up in (Virginia)."d)
Some background on Orton: He didn't start playing basketball seriously until the seventh grade, roughly about the time he grew 15 inches in a single year, his father said."Me and my older son, we used to laugh at Daniel," Larry Orton said. "We didn't think Daniel was going to be a basketball player because he didn't really get into it until his seventh grade year. He was just a short, chubby, fat kid. I have pictures I can show you. And then he grew 15 inches — and I knew it was coming, I just didn't know when. Then between 14 and 15 (years old), he grew 15 inches."The first game he played he scored 16 points, never played in an organized game (before)," he added. "He was just doing things that were unbelievable. The guy didn't believe he was seven years old."e) Just a very well-spoken kid, and is seemingly very aware of the recruiting process and how things go. He also has a rather hectic summer planned. From UConn, he heads to Kentucky for its elite camp, to Portland for the Nike Global Challenge, to San Francisco to work out — “But I don’t think my mom’s going to let me,” he said — and finally Brazil for another Nike competition. -Article
Chris Colvin: a Solid Prospect
Chris Colvin is the recent recipient of a scholarship offer from the University of Kentucky. I found this great article about the kid and thought that I would share it with you guys. This article was written back in June by Roy and Harv Schmidt but it does a great job of summing up some things about the kid. Please note that Colvin's list of schools have changed since the time of the article and Kentucky is now in the mix, I don't know the degree of interest on Colvin's side but one would assume strong interest from UK since an offer has materialized.
Before others misinterpret what we are about to say, let us emphasize that we still believe Warren's Brandon Paul is the #1 player in the state from the class of 2009. However, Whitney Young's Chris Colvin is rapidly making a strong push for that spot. And we are not saying that based on one game--we are saying it based on the solid performances that he has turned out throughout the spring.
The bottom line is that over the course of the past two and a half months Colvin has been nothing but a model of consistency. He played extremely well when we saw him in April at the King James Shooting Stars Classic in Akron, OH with his Chicago Express traveling team and also at the Windy City Classic at the University Of Illinois-Chicago's Physical Education Center competing with Top Flight. Since that time Colvin has also played at a high level at a number of team camps at which Whitney Young has participated.
At the University of Illinois' elite camp last weekend in Champaign, there were many who thought that Colvin was the best player there. While we aren't going to quite go that far, there is no question that he was among the top five players based on performance. At the Illini's satellite camp at Moody Bible Institute which concluded yesterday, Colvin was undoubtedly the best player in attendance, as he helped lead Whitney Young to the camp championship.
What we like the most about Colvin is that unlike many of the other talented guards in Illinois from the class of 2009, Colvin is a pure point guard. In fact, he doesn't try to be anything else. With that being said, he brings a huge amount of leadership and intangibles to the table.
Colvin is an outstanding ball handler who is virtually unstoppable in a one-on-one situation. We believe that there is no one capable of staying in front of him when guarding him man-to-man. Colvin is absolutely explosive to the basket and when he finds a free path in the open court, not only is he going to leave his defender in the dust, he is either going to score or get fouled almost every time. Simply put, he does everything well except shoot. Recruiting-wise, Colvin's frontrunners include Florida State, Oklahoma, Iowa and Providence (all of whom have offered), and he is also receiving heavy interest from Marquette.
Last season there were times when it was difficult for Colvin to even get minutes for Whitney Young because of the enormous amount of depth that existed in their back court. We can guarantee everyone that won't be the case next season. Colvin, along with Marcus Jordan, are the undisputed leaders of a team that is already making a strong argument to be ranked as the preseason #1 team in the state come November. Add 5'8 junior Ahmad Starks into the mix, and it goes without saying that Whitney Young has a guard trio that ranks as the best in the state.
At the present time, we would break down all of the top guards in Illinois from the class of 2009 in this way: Brandon Paul is the best defender, the most well-rounded and has the best up side; Peoria Central's D.J. Richardson is the best scorer and the one guard that you want to have the ball in crunch time; Sterling's Joe Bertrand is the best shooter; North Lawndale's John Taylor may actually be the most naturally talented and Colvin has been the most consistent and offers the most intangibles.
In a class which is undoubtedly guard heavy, all of these aforementioned players are unique in their own special way. That is perhaps the biggest reason why we have long said that there is no clear-cut #1 player from Illinois in the class of 2009. We still give the nod to Paul right now, but at the rate Colvin is going, he is quite capable of laying claim to that honor by the end of the July evaluation period. -Roy & Harv Schmidt
09' Name to Watch: Thomas Robinson
Robinson (center) is a 6'8 forward from Washington D.C. Despite posting respectable numbers as a junior (17 points 14 rebounds and 5 blocks per game) Robinson's recruitment was surprisingly quiet. Well not anymore. This summer Robinson has become that player that seemingly every coach in the nation is pursuing. Robinson averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per game on the summer circuit. The talented forward has offers from no less than 17 schools including Kentucky and Louisville. Robinson's most recent list does have Pitt and Virgina at the top however he has stated that he will not make a decision for a few months.
"A Washington, DC native, Robinson continued to show why he’s become so highly regarded; Thomas dominated, particularly on Sunday, where he displayed his total package in both drills and games, including paint play, defending, and the occasional long jumper. Robinson, a 6’8” long armed, rising senior frontcourt player, has worked on his outside game, and will continue to do so, along with open floor ball handling." - link
