Coastal Carolina senior forward Brandon Crawford has been ruled academically ineligible for the rest of the season, ending his collegiate basketball career, coach Cliff Ellis confirmed Friday.
“You’re disappointed for him, disappointed for the team because from a team standpoint it hurts the team,” Ellis said. “We’ve already lost Willie Kirkland and Tyler Poole to injuries, and the last thing we need is [another] player lost. ... But academics are first and foremost, and you’ve got to take care of that business.”
Crawford was averaging 10.1 minutes, 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12 games off the bench this season. The 6-foot-5 forward joined the program last season as a junior college transfer and played in all 34 games while making seven starts, averaging 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds as a junior.
As Ellis noted, he is the third player the team has lost for the season. Kirkland, a senior guard, was lost to a broken bone in his foot/ankle after playing in just four games, and Poole, a promising freshman, is being redshirted after undergoing preseason knee surgery.
With the team’s diminished depth, Ellis suggested little-used 6-foot-7 junior forward Bisi Addey -- a newcomer to the program this season averaging just 5.7 minutes over six games off the bench -- could see more playing time when the Chants find themselves in foul trouble, or the team could go with a small-ball guard-heavy lineup in such situations.
| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnews.com
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