Want more Keiton Page? You got it.
Published: 2/21/2012 4:22 PM
Last Modified: 2/23/2012 10:47 AM
Keiton Page scored 40 points against Texas. BRYAN TERRY/The Oklahoman
1, How did Page celebrate his big night? He zipped to Chik-fil-A with his mom, then carpooled with a couple of teammates to his hometown of Pawnee to watch his dad coach a high school playoff game.
How were Page and the Cowboys received in Pawnee?
“Pretty good,” Page said. “We all walked in. They all stood up and clapped for us when we got in and they introduced all three of us over the (public address system) and we had quite a few people come up to us and talk basketball with us the whole night.”
Sign any autographs? “A couple of them.”
2, On a couple of occasions this season, OSU coach Travis Ford campaigned publicly that Page wasn’t getting enough respect from officials. Translated, Ford wanted refs to call more fouls on defenders who were getting physical with Page. During the strafing of Texas, Page got fouled enough to go to the free throw line 20 times.
Ford was asked Monday if his plea for respect has helped Page. This is what Ford said: “He helped him. I didn’t have anything to do with it. He helped himself.”
Will Page get respect from officials when he goes to Norman for a Bedlam game on Wednesday night? In home and neutral-site games against OU, Page has shot 38 free throws. But, in three trips to the Lloyd Noble Center for Bedlam games, he has never attempted a free throw.
3, Page produced the ninth-best point total by a Division I player this season. Tennessee Tech’s Kevin Murphy holds the top spot. Murphy dropped 50 points on SIU-Edwardsville during a Jan. 30 game.
Page’s 20-for-20 performance at the free throw line is the best in D-I basketball this season. Second-best? Utah Valley’s Holton Hunsaker (which sort of sounds like a botched pronunciation of the OSU hoops radio crew) went 16-of-16 against Portland State on Dec. 10.
4, Page had a low-key reaction to his big night. According to Ford, Page wondered why everybody was getting excited about a 40-point performance since scoring 40 would have been business as usual in high school.
“He averaged 44 (in high school), which kind of put it in perspective,” Ford said. “It’s no big deal to him. Everybody was pretty excited for him.”
5, Caught up in the game, Ford didn’t realize Page was getting close to 40. He said fans “erupted” when Page hit a late free throw. Ford wondered if perhaps the Cowboys had reached the 100-point plateau or something. Once it dawned upon Ford that Page had reached 40, the coach took the senior out of the game so he could get an ovation.
6, Ford accused the Cowboys of bypassing open teammates in order to get Page the ball. Why? So the senior guard could score as many points as possible.
Guilty as charged? Said Brian Williams, “When he had 30, me and Michael (Cobbins) were like, ‘let’s get him 40.’ He had like 30 with 10 minutes left and they were going to start fouling sooner or later, so it was like ‘let’s get him the ball’.”
7, Does Page talk smack? “He wouldn’t be Keiton if he didn’t,” Williams said.
Reporters who regularly cover the Cowboys don’t notice Page talking smack. But, said Williams, “He’s a veteran. He knows how to get away with stuff. He will just do whatever he can to get in guys’ heads and when he gets in guys’ heads, he will keep on doing whatever he is doing to try to get them (agitated).”
8, OSU football sideline reporter and Stillwater radio personality Robert Allen said he is catching heck for suggesting that Page’s jersey should be retired.
Page is getting ready to infiltrate OSU’s top 10 career scorers list and he should finish his career as the program’s all-time leader in minutes played. Is Page enough of an icon that he should get his jersey retired?
9, What was Page happy about following the 40-point game? The Cowboys got a day off.
10, Page got many congratulatory calls and messages, but he said he’s ready to put the game behind him and get ready for OU. He should have a chip on his shoulder for his final Lloyd Noble Center appearance. He is averaging 19.2 points against the Sooners in Stillwater and at neutral sites. But he is averaging only 5.3 points against the Sooners in Norman.
--Jimmie Tramel, World sports writer.
Written by
Jimmie Tramel
Sports Writer
