Opinion divided on Orton-Cousins tandem

The question of how signees Daniel Orton and DeMarcus Cousins forming a new-look Twin Towers for Kentucky divided recruiting analysts.

Brick Oettinger of the Prep Stars recruiting service envisioned two highly-skilled big men complementing each other and not getting in each other’s way.

But Jerry Meyer of the Rivals.com recruiting service saw two big men on the court together as a bad fit for new UK Coach John Calipari’s dribble-drive offense.

“I don’t think it’s a good fit together,” Meyer said. When asked why, he cited “a lack of foot speed” for either Orton or Cousins as the power forward matched against perimeter-oriented teams with a smaller, quicker “four-man.”

Ironically, Calipari’s dribble-drive offense is better suited for a lineup more predicated on speed rather than size, Meyer said.

However, Meyer added, “When you have weapons like that, I imagine (Calipari) will tweak what he does.”

If there’s a compatibility issue, it’s something most college coaches would love to face.

The question arose after Orton’s father confirmed reports that his son has decided to play for Kentucky next season.

“He told me that is where he’s going,” Larry Orton said on Tuesday. The elder Orton had said for several days that his son was all but set to play for Kentucky next season.

Daniel Orton signed with Kentucky last fall, then wavered after the school fired Billy Gillispie as coach.

Orton decided to stay with Kentucky after several discussions with Calipari, the latest coming last weekend while all were in New York for the Jordan Brand Classic all-star game.

When asked what caused his son to decide to play for Kentucky, Larry Orton said, “The fans. The embracing of the fans.”

Orton plans to come to Lexington around May 12 to begin summer school, his father said.

The elder Orton suggested that playing time might be plentiful for his son and another big man signee, DeMarcus Cousins. When asked about Patrick Patterson’s testing of his NBA stock this spring, Larry Orton said, “I don’t think he’s coming back from what I heard.”

If Patterson leaves, Kentucky’s front court will be anything but empty. Cousins, who signed with UK last week, is rated by Rivals as the top five national prospect. Orton is considered a top 20 national prospect.

“Kentucky would have an inside array of talent to compare with anybody’s,” Oettinger said. “These are not young men who are not ready for the top level of college basketball.”

Oettinger saw Cousins and Orton as players with the skill to play in the low post or facing the basket.