I was lucky enough to send some questions to NBA prospect Daniel Orton, and got some great responses. The questions ranged from Kentucky, to the draft, and even some things about McGuinness. So with out further ado, here is the interview.

IOD:  What was the highlight of your year at Kentucky?

DO:  The highlight of my year at Kentucky was experiencing college and being around the group of guys that were there. Everyone had great personalities and despite being forced to all live in our in housing (Wildcat Lodge) we spent a lot of time together going to parties and the movies, with girls of course sometimes man dates.

IOD: What was it like to play with big name players like Wall and Cousins?

DO: Playing with J (John Wall) and Cuz (Demarcus Cousins) was a lot of fun. Seeing their competitive spirits and their love for the game was a lot of fun.

IOD: Did you expect to have the season as a team like you did?

DO: I really did expect something special from our team and I felt as if we accomplished that. We shut up most of our critics and proved them all wrong. I am not satisfied with the way it ended, but yet still happy to have experienced all of it.

IOD: When did you make the choice to enter the draft, and what factors played into that choice?

DO: I really still haven’t entered the draft my coach just said that. But i think i’m going to keep my name in, but there are a lot of different factors that come into play when deciding to stay or leave. My best bet was there aren’t a lot of post players coming out of college and into the NBA draft this year and its just a great opportunity for me to go.

IOD: Is there a certain team you’d like to get picked by?

DO: Of course i’d love to come back home, but as long as i get drafted it doesn’t matter to me.

IOD:  Did you keep up with the McGuinness boys last season and if so, what were your thoughts on their silver ball season.

DO: I did through assistant coach Andy Fisher, i’m glad they made it back to the championship. I was upset for them because they didn’t win, but i learned my last year you can’t always win it.

IOD: Are there any NBA players that you look up to and try to play like?

DO: I have to say I do admire a lot of NBA players and admire their work ethic but as far as a certain players game I do not try to model mine after.

I can’t express my gratitude enough for Daniel. He’s got a busy schedule, and I feel honored for him to answer my questions.

As a way to send off the Irish upperclassmen, all of the seniors on the McGuinness squad started or played before any juniors or sophomores. It was good to see some people in whom we hadn’t seen for most of the season, but don’t let this special occasion fool you, this was a very hard fought game. The score remained close throughout the first with Ardmore taking the early lead, but once the starters for McGuinness were back in, they took control.

The Irish took the lead going in to half time in a low scoring game, but when the teams took the court in the third, it seemed like every shot was going in. The Irish and Ardmore trading the lead several times during the third quarter, but by the fourth, the Irish were in control.

They improved a five-point lead to a seven-point lead in the fourth, but Ardmore wasn’t done yet and with under a minute left. Ardmore hit a three to put them within one. Thankfully, we hit most of our foul shots and that’s what really sealed the deal for the Irish.

All of the usuall suspects left their mark on Tuesday’s game including Kevin Caruthers, Joe Edmonds, and Matt Christiansen. The team is working very well together, and I’m sure they’re eyeing another trip to the State Championship game, which these players are no stranger to.

Playoffs begin on Saturday, and you don’t want to miss the Irish at home against Classen. The game starts at 8:00 PM, and video highlights will be available after the game!

I’m not going to pretend like I know a lot about basketball, but like most sports, in order to win the game, you must score more points than the other team. Jameel Whitney lead the Irish, and did that for most of the night. The Irish protected the lead for most of the game, leading after each quarter. It looked like after the upset by the Stillwater Pioneers, Coach Durham had the boys prepared for what they knew would be a tough game.

I was running late, so I showed up about mid way through the first, and we were ahead. The trend of the game seemed to be that McGuinness would go on a run and pull away by eight to ten, but NW Classen would come back within two or three.

Finally by the third, the Irish had built up a decent lead, but then I saw something that I had seen before. During the BCS Nation Championship, Alabama had Texas shut down, but during the third quarter, the Tide had become happy with their 17 point lead, and allowed the Longhorns to mount a comeback. The Irish would take time off the clock by spreading the ball around and looked to be in total control.

The only thing, however, was that after they would take some questionable shots, and miss them. After a few missed shots, the momentum shifted over to the other side. Close to the end of the fourth, Northwest was up by up to seven at one point. The Irish wouldn’t go down quietly.

They cut the lead to two, but there wasn’t enough time to get the points they needed. The number of fouls were incredible. There were a combined twenty in the second half alone. Free throwe from Northwest Classen were enough to put the Irish away for their second loss of the week. The final score was a slim margin, 60-57.

Matt Christiansen still doesn’t appear to be 100% after separating his shoulder a few weeks ago, but he’s on his way to being the powerhouse that we’re used to. Both Jameel Whitney and Kevin Caruthers had strong games. Joe Edmonds, who’s celebrating a birthday, had a good game and almost, and I mean almost dunked it. Zach Murphy had another strong game.

There isn’t alot to say about the Lady Irish. I wasn’t at the girl’s game, but from what I heard, we’re pretty good. The score was around 90-19. I’m going to have to start going to those.

Besides writing the game recaps when Joe can’t make it to the games, I’m also going to write a weekly column talking about the last week in Irish sports. Expect that sometime soon.

I’d like to thank Joe for trusting me enough to let me write these and I look forward to the future.