Crawford Experiences Change of Heart, Will Return to Moorpark

It wasn’t exactly “I shall return.”

In fact, Sam Crawford’s statement after the final game of the Moorpark College basketball season was exactly the opposite.

“It’s over,” Crawford, a freshman guard, said of his Moorpark career. “Moorpark is history.”

He shall return, though.

Crawford, probably the most dynamic junior college basketball player in the Valley area, said Wednesday he will play next season at Moorpark rather than move on to a four-year college.

Two factors weighed heavily in Crawford’s decision to return. Unable to meet Proposition 48 academic requirements after high school, Crawford would have been forced to redshirt next season at a four-year school, according to NCAA guidelines.

He also has apparently convinced Damian Wilson, his buddy and former Westchester High teammate, to join him at Moorpark.

After Moorpark’s final game, Crawford had said: “It’s to my advantage to leave.” However, during the spring he began to reconsider.

“It wasn’t so much the changing of my mind as it was that I was so anxious to get off to the next place,” Crawford said Wednesday of his apparent change of heart. “I was so ready to go.”

The 5-foot-8 Crawford said he made an official visit to Cal State Sacramento. He made unofficial visits to Cal State Long Beach, New Mexico State and other schools, but wasn’t eager to redshirt.

“I couldn’t see myself dealing with that,” Crawford said. “I’m not going to go anywhere to sit.”

Crawford is attempting to buttress his academic record by taking classes this summer. He said he is taking a math class at Valley College and two classes through Moorpark and added that he must complete 48 hours to be eligible at a four-year school.

A first-team All-Western State Conference Northern Division selection, Crawford averaged 20.4 points and 12 assists per game. He led Moorpark to the final eight of the state tournament last season and believes the Raiders will be even better when he teams with Wilson, an incoming freshman.

“We can probably go all the way this year,” Crawford said. “We’ve been playing together for a while so we’ll try to get together and do something.”

Wilson, a 6-3 guard, was a Times All-Westside and an All-City Section 4-A Division selection and has said he will attend Moorpark. A strong outside shooter, Wilson averaged 23 points, 5.3 assists and 6.2 rebounds a game last season.