Jeremiah Paige took to the court Tuesday night wearing socks emblazoned with the phrase "I 'heart' Haters."
There's not much to hate about Paige's game lately, however.
A 6-foot-3 senior guard at
Rangeview (Aurora), Paige is averaging 21.7 points and 3.2 assists per game through the Raiders' first six games of the season.
Jeremiah Paige, Rangeview.
File photo by Carl Auer
And while Rangeview, which is expected to make a run at the Class 5A championship this year, is off to a somewhat slow start at 4-2, the Colorado State-bound Paige has lived up to the hype as one of the top players in the state.
"I'm just hoping to lead this team to a state title," said Paige, who is also averaging 3.2 steals per contest. "I'm hoping to do what I can to help these guys out and get there."
While Denver East's Dominique Collier, who signed with the University of Colorado, is considered the top recruit in the state, Paige is either No. 2 or 3 on many lists. Long and rangy, the left-handed Paige is super smooth on the court, with a lightning-quick crossover and the ability to pull up and hit from range.
He said his ability to get to the basket is his greatest attribute, something he was able to do effectively in Tuesday night's game with city rival Smoky Hill (Aurora). When he didn't finish, Paige went to the foul line, where he converted on 11 of 13 free-throw attempts.
The game with the Buffaloes also showed what the Raiders will have to work on if they want to challenge for the championship in March. Smoky Hill outworked them on the boards and consistently beat Rangeview's defense for easy buckets down the lane, as the Buffs pulled out an 80-74 road victory in overtime.
"We're just going to have to go to practice and work harder, work on all the things we weren't able to do (Tuesday)," said Paige, who scored 27 in the losing effort. "We have to go to practice and work on defense and rebounding the ball."
The pieces are there for the Raiders to make a run if they can shore up the area's Paige mentioned. Senior
Trey Bridges joins Paige to give Rangeview one of the most talented back courts in the state, and junior
Tim Wyatt gives them added depth in the back court. Junior
Tarren Storey-Way will be counted on to give them a presence in the low post and could have a big year after missing a portion of last season with a hand injury.
With his college decision behind him, Paige can concentrate on helping the Raiders get better and make a run. The decision to join the Rams in Fort Collins continues a family tradition for Paige, whose grandfather Larry Paige and uncle Floyd Kerr also played for CSU.
Kerr earned a place in the Rams' athletic hall of fame, while Larry Paige was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1978.
Colorado State coach Larry Eustachy said that Jeremiah Paige was at the top of the Rams local recruiting list.
"He was a guy that, out of all the players (in Colorado), we kind of targeted," Eustachy said in a press release after the signing.
Jeremiah Paige said it was a relief to get the choice out of the way so he could put it behind him and just concentrate on the current high school season.
"It was very stressful to have so many colleges after me," said Paige, who has hit 9 three-pointers this season. "After I got that out of the way, I feel more stress-free."
