Titan Guard Crane Quits Before Regaining Eligibility

Senior guard Dareck Crane, who would have been academically eligible to return to Cal State Fullerton’s basketball team tonight, has decided to quit the team, Coach John Sneed said Friday.

Crane, who played in all 29 games last season and averaged 2.3 points, played in a preseason scrimmage and one exhibition game, but was discovered to be ineligible before the season opener. Sneed was planning to use Crane as a backup to shooting guard Joe Small.

“He said he lost motivation to continue after being removed from the team for so long,” Sneed said. “I left the door open if he changes his mind, but he doesn’t think he will. He’s just going to finish up school.”

Crane, a 6-foot-2 Compton High School graduate, played two seasons at Orange Coast College and was the co-player of the year in the Orange Empire Conference in 1988-89, when he averaged 17.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the Pirates.

Without Crane, Sneed said freshman guard Greg Vernon, who made two key second-half baskets in Thursday’s 91-84 victory over Portland, will continue to play more. Vernon played 11 minutes Thursday after playing just 24 minutes in six previous games.