STARKVILLE — For so many college basketball players the senior day celebration is the end of how fans remember them at all. Baxter Price’s story is just beginning.
The lessons he’s learning now will continue for decades.
“One day for each and everyone of these kids, the basketball’s going to stop bouncing,” Price said. “You’re going to have to take responsibilities in life. Lessons that we’re learning here playing basketball, having fun playing a game in college, are two-part lessons that are going to benefit you down the road. It’s a constant learning process. Nobody stops.”
One of the great lessons the walk-on learned this winter was hard work can pay off when new MSU coach Rick Ray offered Price a scholarship in his final year of eligibility after being essentially a scout team player and roster member that just got minutes in a blow out during the last three years under Rick Stanbury’s tenure.
“The fact that he had the respect and the faith in me to do something like that, to award me a scholarship like that it meant everything to me,” Price said. “I can’t put into words how grateful I am for it.”
After combining for just 11 total minutes during the 2011-12 season, Price has exceeded that number in three individual games this season. In a year where injuries and suspensions have limited MSU (8-21, 3-14 in Southeastern Conference) to just six scholarship players, Price’s presence has been critical to simply fielding a competitive roster at all.
“To be honest when I gave some individual instruction in the offseason to Baxter, he kind of looked through me almost saying ‘you talking to me’,” Ray said. “For him to evolve into a guy that wasn’t involved in the day-to-day operations to a guy now where he’s our version of Marshall Henderson in our practices.”
Price will play his final college basketball game at Humphrey Coliseum Saturday vs. Auburn University (4:30 p.m., Fox Sports South) and will be the only honoree in his class before the opening tip.
Last season walk-on members of the MSU program were referred to as the Gold Team on Twitter as they are required to wear gold jerseys during 5-on-5 scrimmages in practice.
The so-called Gold Team members of Price, current MSU member Tyson Cunningham, Taylor Luczak, Charles Parker and Brandon Bolen even made YouTube parody videos of their experience.
“The coolest feeling in a game at Humphrey Coliseum is when all of us (walk-ons) walk to the scorer’s table to a standing ovation,” Luczak said last year.
These five members even unofficial joined a basketball cult following called Club Trillion. Under Rick Ray’s first season in Starkville, only Price and Cunningham were the only guys left considered initial walk-ons and not recruited out of high school. They would’ve been part of the scout team except the bench wasn’t large enough to have 10 total players most times for a scrimmage.
“I knew nothing about what it took to do this job, walk-on. I had no earthly idea. It’s one of those things I think you do and you learn so much from it. I look back four years ago, I’m just like ‘man, it’s been an experience.’ I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t go through this experience. It’s been very, very good to me.”
Former Ohio State walk-on Mark Titus founded the group for walk-on players all across the country after averaging one minute, 0.5 rebounds and 0.5 steals in the season where the Buckeyes program made it to the national championship game.
“I started the blog as a perspective no one really hears about,” Titus told ESPN.com. “I feel like the media always covers the superstar guys and you hear their stories all the time. You never really hear the stories of the guys at the end of the bench.”
Club Trillion was named after the box score of a player that plays for one minute of garbage time and doesn’t record another statistic in that action. The resulting box score for that player reads one minute played and zero for all other statistics, resulting in a one followed by 12 zeros — a trillion.
“The idea for the gold team members at Mississippi State, because we all believe in Club Trillion, is if you’re going to take a shot or a free throw — you better make it,” Luczak joked.
“If you’re not going to record a trillion number than you better make it worth it.”
The problem during the 2012-13 season is the Bulldogs have needed Baxter to actually play in critical moments and possibly try for offensive numbers such as assists and fouls that would ruin the Club Trillion message.
Price even got in for a career high 16 minutes at the University of Florida when junior guard Jalen Steele was beginning his three-game suspension for a violation of team rules.
“It was just surreal,” Price said. “It was an unbelievable experience. I can’t put into words what it meant to me personally. Obviously I’d like to won the basketball game. I feel really blessed and just really grateful to have a chance to compete on that level at an arena like that in front of that many people.”
One thing Price hasn’t done is make a basket during a home game in his college career — something the Humphrey Coliseum crowd has been waiting for and gets loudly excited for each time the Northwest Rankin High School graduate touches the ball.
“It doesn’t really bother me and I’m just glad people support me,” Price said. “I guess it’s better to have support than have somebody getting all over your case. This is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. It’s taught me so much. I’m just really grateful to have an opportunity like this.”
Asked this week what he’ll do after his undegraduate career is over, Price simply shrugged his shoulders and gave an answer his coach would love.
“Hopefully I’ll go to grad school,” Price said. “I guess with the way everything is now it’s never too late to just keep learning. I’ll see where it takes me. I’m going to try to keep my options open and just see.”
For Baxter Price, the lessons never stop.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
