Daniel Orton stands 6-foot-10 and glides across a basketball court with remarkabe ease for someone who wears size 16 high tops.

Seven schools, nearly all Final Four regulars, are competing for his services. This summer, he flew a combined 2,200 miles to attend all-star camps in Ohio and Virginia -- where he played with unfamiliar teammates who virtually ignored him.

"I barely ever touched the ball, unless it was a rebound or something," he said.

If that's the sacrifice for post players such as Orton, their reward comes at Riverview Park Activities Center. Playing with their regular AAU teammates in the Nike Peach Jam, a four-day event that began Saturday, they will find it much easier to contribute. That can be hard to do in summer all-star camps, which players and coaches say can turn into guard-dominated, transition dunkfests.

"If you want the ball there, you have to go get it," said Orton, who joins DeMarcus Cousins (Birmingham Storm) and Keith Gallon (Houston Hoops) as the event's top class of 2009 post players.

It didn't work that way in Orton's opening game, which was watched by, among others, Memphis coach John Calipari and Kansas coach Bill Self. Orton, playing for the 17-andunder Oklahoma team Athletes First, scored on his team's first halfcourt possession with a quick move in the low post. He was pressed into so much action, he fouled out with 5 minutes to go in his team's 62-60 win over California Select.

July is the most important time of the year in the college recruiting process -- the NCAA sets a schedule that allows coaches 20 days to evaluate, but not speak with high school players. The month is divided into two parts for the nation's top prospects: shoe-sponsored all-star camps and AAU events such as the Peach Jam. Strong performances in both are necessary for a player such as Orton, rated as the 10th-best in the country by one Web site. That's why he attended the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio, last week even though he knew it would be difficult to stand out.

At the Peach Jam, he was playing with his regular AAU team for the first time in a month. They were more likely to pass him the ball, he said.

"I think it's more of a familiarity thing -- these guys know their teammates," said Justin Young, a recruiting analyst for rivals.com. "Individual is really the key word to use with the (all-star) camps."