Step Back Keiton

Wow!
Saturday afternoon, Oklahoma State's Keiton Page disproved several assumptions about college basketball. It's "understood" that "short guys that aren't incredible athletes" have no business being on the court in an NCAA Division I game. And these short, non-starting freshmen aren't typically called upon as first option when the game is on the line.

In his first year since battling Oklahoma's small high schools [2A], Keiton has shown that white guards standing around 5'9 1/2" tall, with average "athleticness" can excel against larger, quicker and more athletic players.

"How can this be?" some ask.
The short answer is, because he is a basketball player.

A coaches kid, with an older brother Brady who was also a high school phenom, Keiton has dedicated his life to the sport. I remember playing against the HOOSIERS when Keiton was in the 6th or 7th grade. His backcourt mate, Rotnei Clark, and he, formed as impressive of a 12 yr old guard tandem that this blogger has ever seen. The Hoosiers, coached by high school referee Kirk Schultz, won a national championship that summer. [The picture above was from several years earlier; that is Rotnei on the front row left, and Keiton, is 3rd from left.]

Page didn't just learn basketball via osmosis and hearing his dad David discuss it at the dinner table. After practicing with his age group team, little Keiton would not only attend his dad's high school practice, but he would participate. Seeing how he handled and shot the ball, my guess is that he fit in just fine with the high school team.

By the time he entered 9th grade, he had 3 years experience playing against older high school players, and he showed that he was more than ready as he averaged over 30 points per game, and helped his dad earn a State Championship.

Not so surprising, his guard mate Clark also averaged over 30 points per game while performing for his Uncle at Verdigris High School. When they completed their high school career last season, both with the State Championship trophy in their possession, they also had lept to the top two positions in the ALL TIME SCORING record for the state of Oklahoma.

*Keiton led the state in points scored (1,287), scoring average (44.4 points per game), assists (213) and steals (172) his senior season.
*his 33.4 career scoring average is the highest by a high school player in the last 20 years.

Back to the NOW.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys found themselves down 2 points with about 11 seconds left in regulation in their first Big 12 road game of the year. First year OSU coach Travis Ford called an inbounds play for Keiton. Coming off a double screen, he caught the inbounds pass in the corner, but Baylor's quick defenders got in his face.

He dribbled with his left with the Bear defender pushing against him, along the arc toward the top of the key, drove into the keyhole, before a big "jump-back" [as opposed to the step-back] created enough space for the "non-athletic" white kid to launch a three pointer. It swished through the net and the Pokes held a 1 point advantage with 12 seconds left in the game.
Let's just call it a VERY IMPRESSIVE shot, which Page totally created on his own.
He finished the game with 11 points on 3 of 7 shooting from 3 pt range, 4 steals, 3 assists and 1 turnover. Not too shabby.

A terrible "NON-CALL" on a Baylor charge at the other end gave Baylor one last chance and a foul was called on James Anderson seconds later which gave Baylor's Curtis Jerrell's two free throws and a chance to win the game with two seconds left. He made the first to tie the score, missed the second, but the Bears Tweety Carter knocked down 2 three pointers to start the overtime and Baylor escaped with a 98-92 victory.

Note: If you are wondering about his backcourt mate from the 12 yr old team, yes, he has had some success too. Rotnei Clark currently starts as shooting guard for the Arkansas Razorbacks who knocked off TOP 10 opponents Texas and Oklahoma University in back to back games several weeks ago.