Now and the future: 5A contending Fairview set
Fairview’s Grant Page continued his breakout year, going off for a career-high 22 points in a 63-51 win at Fort Collins Tuesday night. All smiles afterward (and why the heck not): The 6-2 sophomore said he’s just having fun as…
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Continue ReadingFairview’s Grant Page continued his breakout year, going off for a career-high 22 points in a 63-51 win at Fort Collins Tuesday night.
All smiles afterward (and why the heck not): The 6-2 sophomore said he’s just having fun as his second year in high school continues to turn heads.
After hauling in 15 touchdowns for the school’s air-raid football team in the fall, then receiving an offer from Mel Tucker and the University of Colorado in October, Page is adding another impressive chapter …. this time, on the court.
Said Knights coach Patrick Burke: “He’s an extremely athletic basketball player, an athletic kid. It’s tough to guard him because he is so athletic. And when he’s shooting it in and getting it to the rim, it’s really tough to guard him.”
Think that’s tough? What about the four players who average more points per game on the team?
Here are three reasons why Fairview should succeed now, and into the foreseeable future:
Turning the Page
Grant Page’s emergence comes right in time for the final season for his brother, senior Jalen Page.
The dynamic has been pretty special.
Both touting long, athletic frames, both Page brothers are as dangerous on the attack as they are in defense.
Against the Lambkins, each stripped the ballhandler around midcourt on more than one occasion, leading to easy points going the other way. Late in the game, Grant hit a pair of free throws, then grabbed a quick steal before laying in a nifty breakaway layup to all but seal things.
Comparing the two, Jalen’s game is clean and utterly unselfish. The 6-5 forward is averaging more than 12 points per game despite only having double-digit field goal attempts in three games this season. He doesn’t force things, simply looks for the right play.
As the calming presence on the court — a leader who continually trusts his younger teammates — he possesses all the tools to take over a game. He’s an elite defender, has nice touch from deep, and can strike with plenty of silky moves while attacking the rim.
Grant, meanwhile — he’s an explosion. An ice-your-ankles kind of matchup.
Nearly undefendable off his first cut, the sophomore’s pure athleticism makes him a threat with every touch. Tuesday, he dazzled with his head above the rim — laying in acrobatic layups, then dropping easy assists to open teammates with the defense closing.
After scoring just one varsity point last year, he’s become a fixture in the team’s starting five.
“Just playing with my brother, and I love my teammates,” he said, “it’s just fun playing with them every night.”
Another year of Greysen Carter
The 6-4 junior leads the team with more than 18 points and eight boards per game. He’s shooting 57 percent on the year.
You probably can’t classify Carter as a breakout player like Grant Page. He did average 10 points and five boards as a sophomore. But you also would have a hard time arguing that Carter isn’t the team’s most improved player.
At one glance, the 210-pound forward looks pretty light on his feet, racing up and down the court, leading the fastbreak. At another, he’s a bruising presence, a punishing force down low.
In a career-high, 35-point performance on Jan. 3 against Chatfield, he did a little bit of everything, shooting 14 of 19. He repeatedly beat defenders to the rim with nifty ball handling and got to the line for and-1s. His teammates found him streaking away on fast breaks. And when he wasn’t charging the lane, he pulled up with a crisp finish.
“He’s a big kid,” Burke said. “He’s strong, he’s physical, he finishes in the paint. He’s tough to defend. Last year, he was kind of more of a perimeter guy. This year, he’s been more of a post guy for us. We know he can play inside-out.”
Controlling league
The Knights (14-3, 6-0 Front Range League), ranked sixth in the latest CHSAANow.com 5A poll, have all the pieces to go for their third straight league title.
Senior point guard Mark O’Neill (8.1 PPG) hasn’t shot the ball at a high rate lately but has continued to be a strong facilitator (3.6 APG) and on-ball defender (3.3 steals per game). TJ Williams (7.7 PPG), meanwhile, has also proven to add a scoring threat to the lineup when called upon.
For now, the league title looks like a two-way race between Fairview and Boulder (13-3, 5-0) — which won its seventh straight Tuesday to remain undefeated in league. The two will meet Feb. 17 at the CU Events Center.