Note #025: Elijah Crawford (Next Wildcat Weapon)
Former BYU and UIC guard Elijah Crawford entered the transfer portal following his 2025-26 sophomore season with the Flames, committing to Villanova for 2026-27.
From his freshman to sophomore year, Crawford more than 5x-ed his minutes (5.1 MP/G to 25/8 MP/G), playing in roughly the same amount of games (21 in 2024-25 at BYU, 23 in 2025-26 at UIC).
In 2025-26, he notched 21.8 PTS/40 MP, 7.6 AST/MP, and was notably efficient from 2-point range (100/191, 52.4%).
Since 1953-54, the other two NCAA Division I men's basketball players in their sophomore season to record 21.5+ PTS/40 MP and 7.5+ AST/40 MP while shooting 52+% from 2 (min. 190 2PA):
200-300 2PA
1. Jay Williams (2000-01) - 27.1 PTS/40 MP, 7.6 AST/40 MP, 52.0 2P% (153/294) in 31.8 MP/G (39 GP)
300+ 2PA
2. Ja Morant (2018-19) - 26.8 PTS/40 MP, 11.0 AST/40 MP, 55.6 2P% (208/374) in 36.6 MP/G (33 GP)
Yep, it's Jay and it's Ja.
Of note, Crawford played much less than both Williams and Morant.
He also was not particularly efficient from 3 (27.6%, 21/76 - but after attempting just nine his freshman year).
Williams (42.7%, 132/309) and Morant (36.3%, 57/157) were much more effective from long range.
Crawford registered 5.5 FT/40 MP (61/81, 75.3%) as well.
Besides him, Williams, and Morant, only seven other sophomores since 1977-78 have posted 21.5+ PTS/40 MP, 7.5+ AST/40 MP, and 5.5+ FTA/40 MP (min. 20 GP, 500 MP).
The five other sophomores to average at least 14 PPG, 4.5 APG, and shoot 50+% from 2 in 2025-26 were:
170-200 2PA
1. Christian Anderson - 18.5 PPG, 7.4 APG, 55.8 2P% (96/172)
200-300 2PA
2. Amir Lindsey - 17.9 PPG, 4.9 APG, 51.3 2P% (134/261)
3. Labaron Philon - 22.0 PPG, 5.0 APG, 57.4 2P% (162/282)
300+ 2PA
4. Tyler Tanner - 19.5 PPG, 5.1 APG, 54.7 2P% (168/307)
5. Zoom Diallo - 15.7 PPG, 4.5 APG, 52.7 2P% (173/328)
Of note, Crawford only played in 23 games, all others appeared in at least 31.
We saw Anderson, Philon, and Tanner all pop up in Note #021 on Robert Wright III's sophomore explosion at BYU.
There were actually more freshmen than sophomores who met the criteria above in 2025-26:
110-224 2PA
1. Mikel Brown Jr. - 18.2 PPG, 4.7 APG, 50.4 2P% (57/113)
225-280 2PA
2. Leroy Blyden Jr. - 16.4 PPG, 4.5 APG, 50.7 2P% (114/225)
3. Chance Gladden - 14.4 PPG, 4.5 APG, 53.0 2P% (124/234)
280-360 2PA
4. Alex Wilkins - 17.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 55.4 2P% (155/280)
5. Nigel James Jr. - 16.4 PPG, 4.9 APG, 52.0 2P% (155/298)
360+ 2PA
6. Kingston Flemings - 16.1 PPG, 5.2 APG, 50.3 2P% (181/360)
7. Darius Acuff Jr. - 23.5 PPG, 6.4 APG, 50.8 2P% (197/388!)
Of note, Brown Jr. (who, alongside Acuff, appears in Note #010 on Wilkins) only played in 21 games - all others appeared in at least 32.
Flemings can also be found in Note #008 on Acaden Lewis's two-way impact.
Acuff is in Note #003, analyzing Keaton Wagler's freshman ascension, and Note #023 on Dwayne Aristode's hybrid traits, too.
Statistics via Sports Reference
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