Orton commits to UK

Daniel Orton, a 6-foot-11 senior center from Oklahoma City’s McGuinness High, orally committed to play basketball at the University of Kentucky on Sunday at a press conference in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency in downtown Lexington.

“I decided about two nights ago when (Kansas) coach (Bill) Self let me know that they didn’t have a scholarship for me anymore and that they were going to cease recruiting me,” Orton told Rivals.com.

“Kentucky wasn’t a backup plan or anything, but it just made my decision that much easier to go ahead and commit when he told me that.”

KU stopped recruiting Orton after receiving a commitment from 6-foot-8 Thomas Robinson on Thursday night.