Freshman guard Crawford impresses team early

With the headlines concerning freshman guard Eric Gordon’s recruitment all over the media, the last-minute commitment of freshman guard Jordan Crawford likely did not register on the radar of most Hoosier fans last November.\nThe buzz surrounding Gordon’s decision to de-commit from Illinois and join IU coach Kelvin Sampson and the Hoosiers was well deserved. Gordon’s services –\nhe was the No. 2-ranked player in the class of 2007 by recruiting service www.rivals.com –\nwere coveted by many of the top basketball programs nationwide. This was particularly true for the Hoosier faithful, who had seen several native sons leave the state to find success at other programs in the recent years.\nIn comparison, Crawford was an unranked, three-star prospect out of Detroit. It is easy to see how Sampson’s final fall signee garnered little attention.\nHowever, during fall workouts and the season’s early practices, players and coaches alike said Crawford would surprise people this year. After Crawford’s first two performances in an IU uniform, Hoosier fans likely would share the same sentiment.\nCrawford wowed the fans at Hoosier Hysteria by showcasing three quality dunks en route to capturing the dunk contest title. Crawford saved his best dunk for last, bouncing the ball off the floor and catching it while jumping over a rack of basketballs to complete the dunk.\nSampson was impressed by the athleticism displayed by Crawford and his \nfellow teammates.\n“Last year, we almost had to cancel the dunk contest halfway through,” Sampson said. “This year, it was pretty good. That dunk contest would be good against anyone’s team.”\nCrawford showed his skills are not limited to dunking in the first exhibition game against the University of North Alabama, as he poured in a team-high 30 points on 10-11 shooting, \nincluding a perfect 6-6 from beyond the arc.\nHis performance drew praise from Sampson.\n“Jordan has just gotten better and better as he goes along,” Sampson said. “I don’t know if I’ve had a freshman have 30 out of the gate in an exhibition game.”\nCrawford gave credit for his teammates for making the transition to the college game.\n“I was nervous at first, but I knew I had some veteran guys who would take care of me,” Crawford said. “I got a lot of open shots because of D.J. and Armon (Bassett) penetrating, kicking it to me. It wasn’t just me; it was them helping me out.”\nCrawford said coming to IU has caused him to take his game to a new level to adjust to the college game.\n“It was different, because in high school, practice is not as intense,” Crawford said. “Now we go a lot, and it’s always intense.”\nEarly success for Crawford has not made him immune to some good-natured ribbing from Sampson. Sampson said he has to tell Crawford to better use his athleticism and skills within the framework of the team.\n“I just remind him, he’s playing for Indiana, not the And 1 All-Stars,” Sampson said. “But, Jordan has that in him. He’s a very, very talented young man.”\nThough Sampson said he is pleased with Crawford’s play, he said the freshman has a lot to learn, especially when it comes to defense. However, Sampson said the fans are starting to see that Crawford has the ability to be a special player for IU.\n“A lot of people saw (in the first game) what we’ve been seeing,” Sampson said. “He has a chance to be really good.”