Memphis head coach Josh Pastner continues to stockpile talented guards from the Class of 2010.
Memphis Sheffield shooting guard Chris Crawford chose Memphis Thursday over Tennessee. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Crawford is the No. 66 prospect and No. 16 shooting guard in the nation.
“I thought long and hard with my mom and prayed on it,” Crawford said at his press conference, according to Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I just really didn’t want to leave home. I felt like I’d be good here in Memphis. It was really a toss-up but I wanted to play here in front of my family and win a national championship.”
“He’s just a player,” one Division 1 head coach said.
Crawford joins a blockbuster recruiting class that already includes Joe Jackson, Will Barton and Antonio Barton.
Will Barton is ranked No. 11 and Jackson No. 12 in the Class of 2010.
“It’s exciting because now we have a spot-up shooter and another scorer,” Jackson, who played with Crawford on the Memphis Magic Elite AAU squad that won the Adidas Super 64 tournament in Las Vegas this summer, told Wolken. “We’re trying to be No. 1 in the nation.”
PANKEY TO VISIT MARYLAND
Ashton Pankey, a 6-8, 220-pound forward from St. Anthony, will take an official visit to Maryland for Midnight Madness Oct. 16.
“Yes, they’ve officially offered. He’s going on a visit,” said Jeff Rivera of New Heights.
Rivera said Pankey’s list included Maryland, Drexel, Houston, Rice, Hofstra and Oregon State.
No visits are set besides Maryland.
“He’s supposed to go visit Drexel as well but we haven’t confirmed that yet,” Rivera said.
Pankey doesn’t receive quite the attention of teammate Devon Collier or former teammate and current Villanova frosh Dominic Cheek, but the former Archbishop Molloy big man is a rebounding machine.
“First of all, he’s a rebounder. That’s the one thing you can’t do too much of. You can dribble too much, you can shoot too much, you can even pass too much, but no coach has ever taken anyone out of the game for having rebounded too much,” Tom Konchalski told me today about Pankey.
By the way, how about the tremendous delegation job done by the folks at New Heights. Kimani Young is the point man on JayVaughn Pinkston, Adam Berkowitz is handling Collier’s recruitment and Rivera is looking after Pankey’s recruitment. Talk about organization.
Tennessee, by the way, visited Pinkston Thursday at Loughlin.
ST. JOE’S CROSGILE SIDELINED
Saint Joseph’s freshman guard Justin Crosgile will be sidelined for the start of the season after suffering a torn ligament in his left thumb.
That’s a tough break for Crosgile, whose commitment to St. Joe’s I broke, and who is a great kid.
Crosgile, who was injured in a pre-season pick-up game, will undergo surgery and will possibly be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
The 5-11 freshman guard from Paterson, N.J., and DePaul High School was the North Jersey Player of the Year in 2009. He averaged 24. 5 points as a senior while also earning All-State Second Team honors.
The Hawks begin practice on October 17 and will open the Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena on November 13 hosting Drexel.
FORDHAM-VILLANOVA SET
Fordham will take on Villanova Dec. 19 at the Izod Center.
(Photos courtesy Daily News, St. Joe’s athletics)
