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.

Hogs Boss Sooners~Fortson: Drew Lavendar on Steroids?

"Pigg,,,,, Sooooooeeyyyy,,, Razorbacks."

The Hog call was deafening as 19,604 snorting fans practiced tonight's New Year partying as their beloved hoop squad had answers for superstar, future multi-millionaire Blake Griffin and his Sooner teammates.

Definitely a nightmarish noise for Sooner hoop fans. Last night, Oklahoma took their undefeated, double Griffinized Sooners into Bud Walton arena only to be greeted by a pack of squawking HOGS and a possessed Razorback squad. Despite an incredible 2nd half comeback, OU fell 96-88 to fall to 12-1. Arkansas improves to 10-1.

I believe this game will HELP both teams. [see last graph]

Oklahoma bred Rotnei Clark [Celtics played against the Hoosiers backcourt of Rotnei & Keiton Page when Rotnei -Keiton were 6th graders] , who refused to join up with the state university for the next four years, took all of 15 seconds before uncorking a three point shot to start a first half onslaught that appeared to knock the Sooners back to the Oklahoma border. At halftime, the Hogs led 53-38. Clark finished with 15 points which included 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, despite missing his first free throw of the season. But he was not the headline act from the upset in the hills of Northwest Arkansas.

Hog wide receiver Marcus Monk, postman Michael Washington, and the quarterback of the Hog courters, amazing point guard Courtney Fortson stole the show. Monk came from the bench and chipped in 12 points, 6 rebounds and his 20 minutes of defending the Griffin brothers played a huge part in allowing Sanchez and Washington to survive the whole game without fouling out. They each had 4 fouls and Monk had 3. Washington's 24 points down on the block gives hope to BIG 12 opponents that Griffin can be scored on. Washington added 11 rebounds.

But it was Fortson who "wowed" this spectator. Although he may be an average shooter and capable of knocking down 3's [I haven't checked his year stats, but he was 3 of 14 FG's and 0-4 from beyond the arc last night], the diminutive Fortson was the player of the game.

Ultra-Quick might be an appropriate label for this sparkplug. Courtney, a freshmen who attended one year at a prep school, truly was the dominant player in the game. Pushing the ball relentlessly up the court, the lefthanded blurr looked like he was on fast forward while the other 9 players were playing at regular speed. He received credit for 10 assists, but it seemed like more. One time he was trapped in back-court without a dribble, and pivoted enough to zap a pass to a streaking Hog teammate for a layup. His no look passes didn't surprise his athletic teammates, and he added 8 rebounds to boot!

If it wasn't for OU freshmen, and former AAU teammate of Rotnei, Willie Warren, [35 points, including 18 of the Sooners first 23 points on 6 of 6 fgs], and long sleeve wearing Tony Crocker, who sat out a long stretch including the end of the first half thru about 8 minutes of the 2nd half. Crocker sat with four fouls, the last for an assessed technical for complaining about foul #3.

When Rotnei's last 3 pointer made it 72-47 caused another Hogfan explosion, most had to think this game was over. But that's when Crocker went OFF. Yes, all capital letters to O F F. Tony knocked in FIVE,, 5, [1,2,3,4,5] three pointers in a prolific 3 minute stretch and the most amazing part about this streak is that the Sooners shut out the Hogs the entire run. That made it 72-63 and still there were over 9 minutes left in the game.

Two free throws by Warren cut the Arkansas lead to 83-79 and still there were more than 4 minutes left.... The proverbial explanation of the comeback team NOT completing the task, "we wasted all our energy to get there, and didn't have enough to finish"..... might have been true.

It would have been devastating for Arkansas to lose this game. Instead, they have confidence in their squad and should continue to improve with their very youthful guards. Oklahoma was overrated in my opinion. They struggled in an early season home game against a very mediocre opponent. Several victories could have gone either way, and "luck" may have played a role. Wait,,, LUCK?.... of course Luck played a role. It always does!! Or , it NEVER does. Depends on the definition, right?

Regardless, getting HAMMERED like they did for the first 27 minutes surely brought them back to earth. Undefeated. Ranked #4 Nationally. Blake Griffin~assumed to be top pick by NBA at the next draft. Coach Jeff Capel is definitely the real deal. Getting blown out like they did on the road by this Hog squad, will allow him to regain whatever little bit of attention he may have lost during the nice opening season run. OU will be better now that they have LOST a game. And it goes without saying, they proved they can overcome that opening BLITZ by Arkansas, and still had a chance to win the game.