By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
In Fort Gibson, Okla., a town of just over 4,000 people in the Muskogee area, a potential Division I steal just loves the game of basketball. His name, Ryan Keese. As a junior, Keese averaged 22 points a game and seven rebounds for the Tigers, who went 22-4 last season with a loss to Tulsa's Victory Christian in the Area final.
Keese, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard who features a 38-inch vertical jump, exploded onto the major Division I recruiting scene this summer, plying his trade in AAU basketball with the Tulsa Titans. Going into the off-season, Keese had heard from just a handful of Division II schools. Not anymore.
Though no solid offers are available at the moment for Keese, don't be surprised if you hear of some during his senior season.
Keese had received lukewarm recruiting interest from Florida State, Georgia Tech, Rice, Missouri State, and Texas Tech to name a few. No firm offers have surfaced at this time but the list, according to Keese, is growing by the day.
"The attention is nice. I'm pretty laid back, so I don't get too wrapped up in the recruiting process. I'm just looking for the best fit for me," said Keese of the college recruiting process. "I want to go somewhere that I will be happy. The list continues to grow, so I'm sure I will have some options,"
Despite all the success on the hardwood as a junior, Keese was inexplicably frozen out of the All-State teams. Keese, however, is not worried about personal accolades.
"I try to not get caught up in all of that. I just love to play. There are a lot of really good players in the state and I'm sure there are only so many awards to go around. Maybe this year I will have my chance," said Keese of the snub.
This week, Keese will take his talents to Las Vegas for the Nike Main Event. The tournament in Las Vegas will complete his busy summer schedule. After that, it's back to work in the weight room. The Tulsa Titans, coached by Mark McCaskill, also have Tulsa Union's 6-6 forward Antonio Ross and budding Tulsa East Central football star Kenny Session.
"I have enjoyed my summer with the Titans. Coach McCaskill is a really good coach and a great guy," said Keese. "I have gotten to know some really good guys that I have played with. This was my first time to play AAU ball, so it was new to me. I had to play a lot of positions all over the floor this summer, even post due to injury."
Keese's junior season ended in heartbreak with a 44-42 loss to Tulsa's Victory Christian in the Area final. Victory Christian made a huge splash in the state tournament with a first-round upset of previously unbeaten Elk City before losing to Bishop McGuinness of Oklahoma City in the semifinal. To add to Fort Gibson's frustration, it defeated Victory Christian in the Regional final by 10 points thanks to 33 from Keese.
"It was tough, mainly because we wanted to go to State," said Keese. "Victory Christian had a great team, but I feel like maybe we had a better team. In the Area final they changed there defense and doubled me the entire game and I didn't do as well. (Keese scored 16 despite the constant double team) I should have been more patient, so that was a good learning experience for me. It was a really tough way to finish the year."
Fort Gibson will go into the 2007-08 basketball season one of the hungriest teams in Class 4A. Anything short of a berth in the state tournament, according to Keese, is unacceptable.
"Our main goal is to get back to the state tournament. We have been there two of the last three years, and just missed out by two points last season," he said. "Roland (the 2007 Class 4A runners-up to Bishop McGuinness) proved last year that if you work hard and peak at the right time, anything is impossible."
Oklahoma high school basketball is enjoying a tremendous upswing thanks to the emergence of talents such as Putnam City juniors Xavier Henry, Norman's Kyle Hardrick, and Bishop McGuinness center Daniel Orton, along with senior stars Keiton Page of Pawnee and Rotnei Clarke of Verdigris. Keese is doing his part to add his name into the conversation.
If you want a steal, look no further than Ryan Keese.
More Questions for Ryan Keese
Scott Hansen: Who is the best player you have played against in high school?
Ryan Keese: That one is easy. Chris Cooks from Idabel. I played against him in the Area final a few years back. I was young then but he was a great player. Nobody could stop him. They eventually won State that year (Cooks signed with Missouri State in April out of Redlands Community College).
SH: How good is Robert Crawford of Victory Christian?
RK: Robert is a good player. I have played against him four times. Every time we play, it's a battle. We seem to always end up in the same Area, so I'm sure I will see him again down the road. I can't wait.
SH: Will you be able to play point guard at the next level if asked?
RK: When I went down to Florida State to their Elite camp, (former Oklahoma State point guard, Florida State assistant coach) Corey Williams said playing point guard is one of the things he wanted me to work on to take my game to the next level. I have been working a lot on my dribbling so I can have that sort of flexibility in college.
SH: Anything else you want to add?
RK: I would like to thank Coach Wess Hayes for everything he has helped me with over the years. He was my assistant coach at Fort Gibson the last three years and is now the new head Coach at Jay High School. Good luck to him!