Moorpark’s Crawford Signs Letter of Intent : College basketball: Raider point guard will play next season for New Mexico State.

A long-running, long-distance courtship came to fruition Wednesday when Sam Crawford, Moorpark College’s sophomore point guard, signed a letter of intent to play basketball for New Mexico State.

Crawford said New Mexico State recruited him when he was at Westchester High but that he had failed to meet NCAA Proposition 48 eligibility requirements. Crawford said it was then that New Mexico State steered him in Moorpark’s direction.

He visited the Las Cruces campus the weekend of Nov. 3.

“I told them before I came, if I liked it, I was going to sign,” said Crawford, who gave an oral commitment two days after his visit.

Crawford (5-foot-7, 150 pounds) averaged 20.7 points a game, led state players with 12.1 assists a game and set five school records. Crawford said he will not redshirt and boldly stated that he expects to replace the incumbent point guard, senior Randy Brown, a first-team All-Big West Conference selection last season.

Moorpark held a press conference Wednesday to announce the signing and Crawford ran the press conference in much the same way he directs the Moorpark offense, unpredictably and with flair.

“I’m going to start,” Crawford said. “If nothing else, I can bring a little bit of excitement. If not that, controversy. I’ve been good for that.”

Crawford, who led Moorpark to the final eight of the state tournament, took only one other official visit, to Sacramento State. He said he might have had more offers had he waited until the spring signing period but likely would not have changed his mind.

New Mexico State finished 26-5 and tied eventual national champion UNLV for the Big West championship last season before being knocked out in the first round of the NCAA tournament by Loyola Marymount.

The New Mexico State coaching staff is unable to comment on Crawford until it receives the signed letter of intent by return mail.