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Drew Crawford had options. After suffering a torn labrum early last season, Crawford was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA after he missed all but 10 games of the 2012–13 season. He had a chance for immediate eligibility as a fifth-year transfer.
The Big Ten’s active leading scorer, Crawford (WCAS13) could have left for another program, one with more postseason promise. But when Chris Collins was hired as the Wildcats’ coach, the pair quickly built a rapport, and the decision became clear.
“I love being here every second,” Crawford says. “People said, ‘You could have gone anywhere in the country.’ But at the end of the day, all that glamour doesn’t matter to me. You want to be where people care about you and have your back. I know I have that here.”
As the Wildcats enter a new era under Collins, Crawford has helped lay the foundation. He led the Wildcats to five Big Ten wins through Feb. 1 and earned Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors after a 30-point outing in a win over Wisconsin.
“I’ve really been working to be a good leader,” he says. “The biggest thing is being vocal, being the hardest worker on the court every day.”
The economics major is finishing up a master’s in sports administration in the School of Continuing Studies and hopes to one day work in finance — after playing pro hoops.
“That’s every kid’s dream, to play in the NBA,” says Crawford, the son of a pro basketball referee. “I’m gonna do everything I can to get there.”
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