October 22, 2009

Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Basketball Staff Writer

He hasn't played a single game for his new team, but Xavier guard Jordan Crawford already is the Atlantic 10's most famous player.

It's not because of anything he accomplished at Indiana, though Crawford did average 9.7 points per game for the Hoosiers two seasons ago before transferring to Xavier. Instead, Crawford turned into a minor celebrity this summer only after he made a play that nobody was supposed to see.

Crawford, who is 6 feet 4, was participating in the LeBron James Skills Academy when he beat a defender, drove down the lane and dunked over James.

A couple of journalists recorded that moment but had their tapes confiscated by Nike, which cited a media policy that prevented anyone from filming pickup games at the event. Skeptics argued Nike simply was trying to protect its star client. The controversy didn't die down until the highlight made its way to YouTube and Nike eventually returned the tapes.

The whole event turned Crawford into a bit of a reluctant celebrity. "It really got overhyped," Crawford said. "I wasn't really too [happy] with all the hype it got."

Crawford believed that one play overshadowed the way he performed throughout the event, when he held his own against some of the biggest stars in the nation. Instead of talking about what he accomplished during the rest of the camp, Crawford found himself answering repeated questions about the dunk seen -- or not seen -- around the world.

"The attention was good for Xavier and for me getting my name back out there after sitting out a year, but I got tired of it," Crawford said. "It got old."

Crawford would rather discuss what he can do for Xavier this season. He believes he has improved by leaps and bounds since the last time most fans saw him in action.

After scoring in double figures 15 times as a freshman while helping Indiana reach the NCAA tournament, Crawford spent the past year strengthening his body and his jump shot. He has added eight pounds to get near the 200-pound mark. Crawford believes he also should beef up his scoring average this season.

"I have a more consistent jumper and I'm a lot stronger," Crawford said. "I think I know the college game a lot more. I came into Indiana raw and still had a very good season. Now I'm mature two years later, and it's going to be a big difference."

Crawford's education about the college game hasn't been entirely positive.

He left Indiana after a coaching change and picked his new school in large part because of his relationship with Xavier coach Sean Miller, who nearly had persuaded him to sign with the Musketeers out of high school in Detroit.

"When I decided I was leaving [Indiana], I called him up," Crawford said. "He didn't call me. I called him and said I wanted to come to Xavier."

But Miller left for Arizona after the 2008-09 season.

"It was difficult, but it's happened to me before," Crawford said. "I just said I'd move on, that whatever happens, I'm going to deal with it like a man."

That Xavier promoted assistant Chris Mack to replace Miller eased the transition. Crawford already had developed a rapport with Mack, who won't change Xavier's style of play.

The expectations also remain the same, at least within the locker room.

"[Mack] was comfortable with us, and we were comfortable with him," said Crawford, whose older brother, Joe, played for Kentucky. "He knew each player's style of play. There really hasn't been a difference. We're running the same drills and keep moving on. Of course, we're expecting to have a chance to play for the Atlantic 10 championship. That's all we're thinking about."

Dayton has emerged as a popular candidate to end Xavier's string of three consecutive Atlantic 10 regular-season titles. Dayton returns most of its nucleus after reaching the second round of last season's NCAA tournament. Xavier must cope with the losses of Miller and standout forward Derrick Brown, who left for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats after his junior season.

Senior center Jason Love and junior guard Dante Jackson are the only returning starters from a team that went 27-8 and reached the Sweet 16 last season. That's why Xavier needs Crawford to come in and make an immediate impact.

Crawford looks forward to the challenge. He has set a goal of earning A-10 MVP honors while helping Xavier win the league title.

He insists the publicity that surrounded his big dunk this summer hasn't put any additional burden on him to live up to the hype. He has more important goals in mind.

"That doesn't put any pressure on me," Crawford said. "The pressure is really just maintaining what Xavier's been doing the last couple of years. That's the most pressure."

If Crawford is as good as advertised, Xavier should continue its run.

Crawford already is the Atlantic 10's best-known player. He'd rather be known as simply the best.

What's in a name?

Although the season doesn't officially start until next month, we already have an obvious candidate for the all-name team. Let's introduce you to Siena guard Just-in'love Smith.

How did he get his unusual name?

"My mother was just in love with me," Smith said, "so she named me Just-In'Love."

Smith, a 5-foot-11 senior, said he gets asked about his name a couple of times a day and doesn't get tired of the questions. Smith loves his unique name because it reminds him of the mother he lost far too early.

Smith was 13 when his mother, Sharon Gibson, died of a severe asthma attack. Smith said he was the one who called 911 to get her sent to the hospital. Six months later, one of his older brothers also died.

Some people might never have recovered from that type of one-two punch. Smith instead found a way to overcome the tragedy while taking a circuitous path to Siena.

After spending one year at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y., Smith joined the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Alaska for two years, went to Iraq for a year and returned to Alaska for one more year.

"I just wanted more structure," said Smith, who already had a sister and brother-in-law serving in the military. "I saw it as more of a guidance tool for me to mature and grow up and be in a stable environment."

Smith then returned to Hudson Valley for a year before transferring to Siena. He now is a 26-year-old walk-on looking forward to his lone season of eligibility with the Saints.

He doesn't figure to play much for a team that has made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances and returns four starters, but he remains a valuable member of the roster. Smith provides tenacious defense in practice and serves as a role model to his younger teammates.

When his teammates aren't calling him "Justin," "J-Love," "Lovie" or some other version of his unusual name, they're often referring to him as "Pops" in a nod to his role as the team's elder statesman.

"I find myself being more of a mentor and just more of a problem solver," said Smith, who eventually wants to work as a state trooper. "They see me as a big brother. They come to me when they have questions or have problems, and I try to help them as much as I can."

TIP-INS

St. John's forward Anthony Mason Jr. got some news he didn't want to hear. After playing just three games last season with a torn peroneal tendon last season, Mason now must sit out four to six weeks with a hamstring injury. Mason led the Red Storm in scoring two years ago. St. John's has a veteran team that could make a move in the Big East, but the Red Storm won't have any chance of earning an NCAA bid if Mason misses a significant portion of the season again.

As if UCLA's young roster didn't offer enough cause for concern, the Bruins have been hit by a rash of preseason health problems. Six scholarship players are struggling with injuries -- point guard Jerime Anderson (groin), forward James Keefe (shoulder), forward Brendan Lane (ankle), guard Malcolm Lee (concussion), center J'mison Morgan (swollen knee) and forward Mike Moser (lower back).

Villanova was a slight favorite over West Virginia to win the Big East in a preseason poll of the leagues' coaches released Wednesday. Coaches also named Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody the preseason player of the year and Cincinnati guard Lance Stephenson the preseason rookie of the year. Following Villanova and West Virginia in the coaches' poll were Connecticut, Louisville, Georgetown, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, St. John's, Marquette, Providence, USF, Rutgers and DePaul.

Vanderbilt center A.J. Ogilvy has told The (Nashville) Tennessean that he's at "about 90 percent" after struggling with planter fasciitis in his right foot for much of last season. He now is struggling with a different kind of health problem. Ogilvy has missed three practices with a concussion after colliding with teammate Steve Tchiengang while driving for a layup. Ogilvy averaged 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season.

Stanford freshman forward Andy Brown will miss the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a Saturday practice. This scenario is all too familiar to Brown, a 6-foot-8 forward; he tore the ACL in his left knee in January to end his senior season at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei.

Steve Megargee is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at smegargee@rivals.com.