Xavier Crawford

[brocks]

With POB likely leaving, as one poster recently noted, the questions for BU revolve mostle around incoming recruit Xavier Crawford, who is now listed as 7-0 and still growing. We've all heard of recruiting guru Van Coleman. Here is what Coleman said about Crawford just before Crawford verballed to Bradley last fall:

Coleman's report: "Crawford has gotten stronger and started to add much needed bulk. He has ability to shoot the 3 and used his quickness around the hoop to more than hold his own. He told us that Kansas, Xavier, Utah and Bradley are the schools showing the most interest. My feeling is that's about to change based on the way he scored in Suwanee."

For the Valley's sake, let's hope he can fill some big shoes. One of the reasons he gave for choosing BU over the "bigs" was that he wants to play right away. Looks like that will now happen.:braves: :valley:

[DawgFan]

No offense, but he couldn't get off the bench this past season very often at Boys to Men. POB's don't come around the MVC every decade.

[MSNSaluki]

if he was ready to compete at the valley level, we would have seen him this year.

[brocks]

if he was ready to compete at the valley level, we would have seen him this year.

Huh? He isn't here yet.

[thetruthhurts]

DawgFan is correct. The similarities between POB and Xavier stop at their height. Xavier is a major, major project, thats if he ever steps foot on Bradley's campus.

Remember, there is a greater chance he is Ben Coupet than Patrick O'Bryant.

[brocks]

DawgFan is correct. The similarities between POB and Xavier stop at their height. Xavier is a major, major project, thats if he ever steps foot on Bradley's campus.

Remember, there is a greater chance he is Ben Coupet than Patrick O'Bryant.

Well, that is, unless you ask Jim Les, who might know just a little more on the subject than any of us posters. Why still the questions about him showing up? He is an academic qualifier and he's already been on campus hanging out with the team.

[thetruthhurts]

Brocks. Do you expect Jim Les to say the kid can't play? All coaches hype all recruits. Of course the kid has upside. He is 7-0 tall. But he never saw the court at Boyz To Men Academy. Doesn't that matter?

Plus he has been to about five schools in four years. Not overly stable there. If you don't see the red flags then you are blind. I think Bradley needs to sign guys like Xavier. Don't get me wrong. But he isn't Patrick O'Bryant. Not many are. I see him being able to contribute some by the time hes a junior. It's going to take quite some time for him.

[brocks]

Brocks. Do you expect Jim Les to say the kid can't play? All coaches hype all recruits. Of course the kid has upside. He is 7-0 tall. But he never saw the court at Boyz To Men Academy. Doesn't that matter?

Plus he has been to about five schools in four years. Not overly stable there. If you don't see the red flags then you are blind. I think Bradley needs to sign guys like Xavier. Don't get me wrong. But he isn't Patrick O'Bryant. Not many are. I see him being able to contribute some by the time hes a junior. It's going to take quite some time for him.

Absolutely disagree that all coaches hype recruits. In fact, good coaches don't; you don't want kids coming in with unrealistic expectations and too much pressure. And thinking back to the things JL has said about incoming recruits, he's usually pretty tempered. Let's just say this: I'm not the one who made the POB comparison. Les was. He's high on Crawford. I guess we could ask Jamie Dixon at Pitt and John Beilein at WVU why they offered him scholarships, too.

I don't know where you get the Ben Coupet stuff. Here I'll quote you: They're both 7 feet, and that's where the comparisons end. (Okay, they were both highly recruited, too). Crawford is a qualifier; Coupet wasn't. Coupet has severe attitude problems; all I've heard about Xavier is that he's a great kid and one of Ray Brown's best friends. I just don't see how transferring to B2M makes him the next Ben Coupet. And as for playing time, he was playing behind 8 or so kids who were even more highly recruited than him, so that's the way it goes. JL has emphasized that the kid has been practicing against high-major DI talent for a long time. Don't see how that hurts.

Bottom line, OF COURSE he's not going to come in and just replace POB. But Bradley's coaches think he's got the potential to get there. I hope they get it done.

[thetruthhurts]

Name a coach who, when signing a player, has said the player WON'T help the team. Has said, "he's really not that good, he shouldn't progress, and we don't like his future."

Every single coach in America says good things about new recruits. These are the exact same things that Jim Les said about Xavier (and rightfully so). Again, I didn't say Bradley shouldn't have recruited Xavier Crawford. They should have. But let's just admit that it's a risk. I can name you far more MVC seven-footers who WERENT pro prospects than who were.

Coupet had severe attitude problems?? Wow, that's hard on the guy. Ben was a bit aloof but I wouldn't say he had a severe attitude problem. Ben Coupet was a very, very nice kid. Always good with young children. Heck, he is even making a nice living playing pro basketball.

Yet you say Xavier Crawford is a "great kid" based on all you've heard. According to who? And the fact he's Ray Brown's best friend means what exactly? Ben Coupet was great friends with Bayo Akinkunle. That means very little.

This myth about eight DI players playing ahead of Xavier Crawford is exactly that, a myth. Youre tellin me B2M had eight centers on their roster? All of them keeping Xavier from seeing the court?

It sounds like you take the word of Jim Les as gospel. Remember, he is saying what people want to hear and what will put Xavier and BU in the best light (as he should). All coaches do this. Just remember that Bradley reports on Xavier aren't exactly the most unbiased. It isn't just the B2M stuff. He was at like three different schools before that. Why was that?

I saw two B2M games this year. Xavier didn't stand out. Not one bit. Again, I too hope he has a wonderful career at Bradley. All things considered, I liked it when BU signed him. However, I still have reservations about his game. I think any fan with any type of objectivity would as well.

[Mikovio]

This myth about eight DI players playing ahead of Xavier Crawford is exactly that, a myth. Youre tellin me B2M had eight centers on their roster? All of them keeping Xavier from seeing the court?

One of those centers playing ahead of Crawford at BTM is Nayal Koshwal, ranked #59 in the Class of 2007 by Rivals. And power forward Craig Brackins is listed as a 4-star recruit by Scout.

Wasn't Crawford injured to start the season? I think he recovered by midseason, but that would explain his absence in several games altogether.

Anyway, the fact that Crawford was one of the few who had signed with a D-I program before the season even started didn't help his cause for minutes either. This is a prep school (I hate to use the term "basketball factory," though that may be more appropriate) that prides itself on sending these guys to D-I. The unsigned ones that need the exposure will generally get the minutes.

It's the practice time with these high-major recruits that was invaluable for Crawford this past year....

[thetruthhurts]

Understood Mikovio. I also think the fact that Xavier went to a school that is on the lower end of the credibility scale should raise some eyebrows as well.

I've never once said Xavier Crawford was a bad recruit. 7-0 guys don't grow on trees. But from every single unbiased eyewitness account it has been said that Xavier is a project. Could be POB, could be James Baptist.

I think people are drawing too many comparisons to POB and they aren't the same at all. Heck, its unfair to put that on the kid right away anyway. Im still not convinced the kid ever plays a game for Bradley.

[bcg]

While there are plenty of red flags about Xavier, somehow he found a way to qualify. I had no expectations of the kid ever doing that. Maybe he actually learned something at the newly created basketball factory.

I'll wait to judge the kids basketball abilities after seeing him play over the summer. It was discouraging to see how few minutes he was playing.

The name Ben Coupet just makes me laugh. At the end of our fraternity meetings back in the day, we had 'Coupet moments' when guys would talk about how they messed up.

[cpacmel]

Does anyone have Crawford's stats from this past season?

Is it true that he averaged under 5 minutes per game?

[MSNSaluki]

if he was ready to compete at the valley level, we would have seen him this year.

i'm a dumbass.
sorry.
for some reason, i thought he was already at bradley.

[MikeKennedyRulz]

GodXavierGod

:braves:

[thetruthhurts]

While there are plenty of red flags about Xavier, somehow he found a way to qualify. I had no expectations of the kid ever doing that. Maybe he actually learned something at the newly created basketball factory.

I'll wait to judge the kids basketball abilities after seeing him play over the summer. It was discouraging to see how few minutes he was playing.

The name Ben Coupet just makes me laugh. At the end of our fraternity meetings back in the day, we had 'Coupet moments' when guys would talk about how they messed up.

Coupet is a bit of a "legend" at Bradley. He was a different guy to be sure. But in the end he was a really good guy who had some basketball ability. He helped Bradley when he was eligible :) He scored 198 career points at Bradley. I will wager that its more than XC will ever score. I hope Im wrong though.