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a, February 05 2025 [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, [9], 10 ]

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Date Posted: Thursday, August 05, 03:37:03pm
Author: DuHope
Subject: ESPN April 2010
In reply to: WashpaRick 's message, "Rodney Crawford" on Thursday, August 05, 11:39:18am

But what's up with Mountain State Academy (22-4)?

The Falcons, who were seeded No. 6 in the eight-team tournament, have 14 international players. Coach Rodney Crawford doesn't have a sprinkling; he has a flood -- including two Sudanese 7-footers; half a dozen young men from Ontario; two players from Lebanon; and one each from France, Serbia, Montenegro and the Republic of Georgia.

Here's what's most amazing: Crawford was hired last summer with little travel budget and just three returning players, and only one of them figured to be in the regular playing rotation. So how did he draw all these folks to the town of Beckley, W.Va.? And why the overwhelming international flavor?

"There's only so many top kids that you can get from the United States," the coach said. "By the time I got started, they knew where they were going and I had missed on most of them except Justin Martin. The program was started three years ago, and this is my first year, so you've got to go [the international] route. There are players everywhere.

"They're not household names, but they're the same caliber, high-level players that any top team has. I had to go through the people that I know in the game. We don't have a budget set in place to be able to travel abroad. You get a lot of film, see them in AAU. I had to work quick."

Crawford -- previously an assistant at Harmony Community School, a Cincinnati prep school -- has worked well to stock the private school's roster.

Martin, a 6-foot-6 guard forward from Indianapolis, is one of three MSA players already signed to a national letter of intent. He'll attend Xavier, 7-foot-1 center David Nyarsuk of Sudan signed with West Virginia, and point guard Dabs Newby of Toronto will go to Eastern Kentucky.

Seniors Remi Dibo (a 6-8 forward) of France and Kofi Mensa (a 6-4 guard) of Toronto both have ESPNU grades of 90 (although Mensa has been out ill all season). Juniors Ahmad Ibrahim of Lebanon and Ronald Ross of Indianapolis and sophomores Obij Aget of Sudan and Anthony Bennett of Toronto are on plenty of watch lists.

Martin was established before arriving late last summer.

The No. 46 prep player and No. 13 shooting guard in the ESPNU 100, he attended Lawrence North High (Indianapolis), the same school that sent up former North Carolina center Eric Montross and former Ohio State stars Greg Oden and Michael Conley.

Former Bowling Green and Cleveland State assistant coach Sean Bledsoe suggested MSA.

"My trainer [Bledsoe] and coach Crawford are real good friends," said Martin, who leads the Falcons with an average of 15.9 points per game. "He talked to coach Crawford, and I was in need of a new school because my academics were slipping a little bit. I wanted to go somewhere there weren't a lot of distractions.

"I just kind of fell in love. It's everything I was looking for, and coach Crawford has been amazing on and off the court.".

There are about 85 students in grades 6-12 at the Academy, which is affiliated with Mountain State University. The MSU men's basketball team has been ranked No. 1 nationally more frequently than any other NAIA program since 2000, with a national title in '04 and a runner-up finish in '08.

The Academy basketball players stay in MSU dormitories and eat in school cafeterias.

Crawford said tuition is about $10,000 at MSA, and while there are athletic scholarships (other sports include baseball, softball volleyball and coed soccer, although the sports other than baseball are played chiefly on a local level), nothing is free.

"Those are sponsorships," he said, without offering to mention any sponsors. "Everything is paid for, and I'm constantly trying to raise funds. We need a certain amount of support at the local level."

Ibrahim, a 6-6 guard from Lebanon, played for Patterson last season, but the Lenoir, N.C., school closed after last school year. He considered several options before landing at MSA. "A West Virginia coach told my family about it," he said. "Coach teaches us well. It's just like a family, and they help you to get your grades. We just bond together."

Martin, who said he also considered Tennessee, Kentucky and Marquette before choosing Xavier, said the MSA experience has been unique.

"Coming from a school where there's 3,000 people and everybody is American was an adjustment, but basketball is an international language," Martin said. "Sometimes, you may have to take time to explain something. We all get along, and it's like one big family."

Crawford said the Academy's mission does not include teaching student-athletes English from scratch.

"If they can't speak it, I can't take them," the coach said. "As cutthroat as that may sound, we don't have the infrastructure for that. You want to make sure you can get them qualified."

Dibo, who is considering Wyoming and Nevada, and Mensa, who Crawford said is leaning toward New Mexico State and was also recruited by West Virginia, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech and Marshall, are unsigned. All five current seniors are likely to play Division I basketball.

The Falcons struggled against Findlay Prep in January, losing by 25. Yet in February, they gave No. 3 seed Oak Hill Academy (Va.) a run before falling 45-44. On Thursday, they sent Oak Hill home early with a stunning 59-53 win.

"The goal is to sign the best players possible wherever they're at," Crawford said. "Justin Martin is a prolific 3-point shooter, very intelligent, tremendous upside. David [Nyarsuk] is a shot blocker [4.8 per game] and rebounder [11.1]. Remi Dibo is shooting 42 percent from 3-point. Jabs Newby is quick and athletic, has a real good feel for the game. He was the only returning guy in the rotation.

"My sales pitch is just like everybody else's, but … through the people I've built relationships with, I was able to have quality co-signers. Just about every team now has at least one or two international kids, but I would say we're unique in that sense in that we have a whole lot. Most [domestic] kids stay at their high schools; no sense trying to recruit most of them because they're not leaving."

Matt Winkeljohn left the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after spending 21 years there. He can be reached at mattwinkeljohn@yahoo.com.

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