BYU Basketball's Elijah Crawford looks to make an impact at BYU

The Next Step

Though we've only been given the chance to witness the larval phase of the Kevin Young takeover, in his short time as the program's head, Young has reshaped the destiny of BYU basketball in ways that seemed to be impossible when the coaching carousel spat out Mark Pope at Kentucky.

Though Crawford wasn't Kevin Young's first recruit as head coach, signing an elite prospect with no previous ties to the state of Utah or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the first indicator that the new era of BYU basketball would be one of unprecedented potential.

It's no secret that assistant coach, Brandon Dunson, had a strong influence in drawing Crawford from Stanford to BYU, but he's also been unabashed in his praise of Coach Young and the program that he promises to build in Provo. Schematically, Crawford feels that he fits right into Young's pick and roll-heavy offensive scheme.

He's a 6-foot-1, 175-pound point guard out of Augusta, Georgia with a dynamic handle, undeterred shot-making ability, and good court vision that makes him a unique do-it-all type of threat with the ball in his hands.

In high school, Crawford became a top-100 recruit in his graduating class as the lead guard at Brewster Academy--a prestigious prep school with a history of undersized guards who became legitimate NBA contributors like Donovan Mitchell, T.J. Warren, Devonte' Graham, and Kai Jones. Despite his relatively small size, Crawford has NBA potential.

At BYU, he'll look to capitalize on that potential.

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

"Coach Young, he's for sure going to implement the NBA offense into our offensive scheme," Crawford shared in an interview with BYU Sports Nation, "So it's going to be a lot of pick and roll, a lot of ball screens, and stuff like that, which is really what I excel at [...] coming off a ball screen, my decision making, [and] preciseness."

Elijah Crawford is an emcee of the pick and roll--if every offensive possession is a verse in a song, he can read the room and make decisions on the fly to improve any aspect of his situations. Unafraid of the defense, Elijah sprints past ball screens like he's got rocket boots on: uninhibited and in control of the game.

When he has the ball at the top of the key, he's the proud owner of a diverse utility belt of finishing moves for any scenario. if his defender gets caught on the screen, he'll dive into the lane where he's comfortable pulling up, finishing at the rim, and dishing to his teammates. A talented scorer from anywhere on the floor, he can rise up and knock down a jumper anytime.

Crawford handles the ball with care and maintains control of the ball even when making flashy moves inside the 3-point arc. He makes quick, decisive moves when he has possession, and really loves crossing over from left to right

Though far from an unwilling passer, he isn't what I would describe as a "pass first" player. He's a proven shot maker, and hitting difficult shots is an important skill for a point guard who should find himself with the ball in his hands pretty often, but as a player's gravity increases, the ability to rocket the ball out of his own atmosphere and into the open hands of a teammate will create better looks for easy points.

When he shares the ball, the hills sing with his sweet and silky-smooth offensive synergy. At times, though, he's more inclined to take a tough, contested jumper or fadeaway to shoot over taller defenders. He can make this and does it routinely, but it's a high-risk, low-reward look. I see him playing "hero-ball" a bit too often when he locks onto the rim, even as second and third defenders rotate over to him. Some pictures of his shot selection remind me of Kobe firing through a sea of defenders. "Pass? Just get the rebound!"

Especially with talented teammates like 7-foot-3 Purdue-commit, Daniel Jacobsen, Crawford would likely see defensive pressure diminish on his drives to the basket and actions off screens if he passed the ball as a weapon to create favorable looks for his teammates, rather than as a release valve for when his dribble drive gets swallowed up.

Against tougher competition, he frequently finds himself dribbling into trouble, rather than using his dribble to create. I don't think that he lacks court vision; he keeps his head up when handling the ball and seems to have a good view of the court. Seeing what the defense gives him and using his finely-tuned handles to create open looks--for his teammates as well as himself--will add a wrinkle to his game that keeps the defense a step behind.

Obtaining a player with Crawford's difficult shot-making ability paired with ball control and court vision is like finding Jeremy Jordan in your frosting--a rare occurrence that takes an already good thing and makes it great. Crawford says that he draws inspiration from Memphis-era Mike Conley, and it's not too difficult to draw that comparison as an initiator on offense.

Crawford has a great jump shot, and his form is very sound fundamentally. With a relatively quick release and good elevation, the Brewster Academy product's jumper should have no problem acclimating to the college game. Even with taller, stronger, and faster defenders in the D-1 level, Elijah has displayed poise when forced to score over the outstretched arms of the defense.

One small habit I've observed in watching his film is a tendency to fire while off-balance--especially when shooting heavily contested jumpers. Elijah creates space by swinging his feet forward, and though his lower body tends to drift, he still looks comfortable firing that shot. If the shot continues to fall at BYU, this shouldn't be too concerning. After all, despite any minor criticisms I may reach for, the dang thing goes in consistently.

Despite his smaller frame, Elijah is deceptively strong, and that translates well to solid on-ball defense, but off-ball helping isn't a strength of his. Often reaching out his hand as an opposing player slides into the lane or even just watching when he could look to swipe at the ball or even step in to draw a charge. He's frequently standing upright and flat-footed when his man is a pass or two away and shows a "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" approach on the defensive end.

I've seen Elijah exert tremendous defensive effort at select times during the game, often hitting another gear in the final quarter of play. When he wants to, I've seen him sprint to catch the ball-handler as he pushes tempo in transition, and spares no energy in aggressively attacking while on-ball. If he can take these shining examples of defensive effort and spread that effort throughout every play he's on the floor, he has the tools to be a menace on that end.

Planted on Solid Ground

Crawford brings a deep toolbox with him onto the floor, and he knows how to use each of his gadgets to gain an advantage on the court. Though he has some room for improvement, his intangibles and obvious love for the game make me optimistic that he'll continue to grow under the tutelage of Kevin Young and the BYU basketball program.

In his freshman year, he'll likely spend most of his minutes backing up returning guard, Dallin Hall, but I can envision a future that sees Crawford's minutes steadily increasing if he improves at the rate he seems capable of. With an impressive cast of characters populating the roster around him, Crawford can be a sponge this season by absorbing the hooping wisdom saturating his environment.

In early clips of practice, the BYU basketball culture looks as healthy as ever, and their energy is infectious as the whole team got pumped for their combine testing. Crawford's personality shines while he's with the team, and I'm optimistic that we'll see him grow over the season.

Like an azalea plant, young basketball players need to be planted in an environment that promotes growth if they're going to thrive. All early signs indicate that Elijah has been planted in a location that can only help him improve, and his potential is nothing if not tantalizing for the future of BYU hoops as well as his potential professional career.

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