Drew Crawford facts for kids

Drew Crawford (born October 18, 1990) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Maccabi Ramat Gan in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Drew played college basketball for the Northwestern Wildcats.

He was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2010. Drew also earned the title of Academic All-American twice. In 2019, he was named the Italian League MVP. This happened after he helped Vanoli Cremona reach the semifinals of the Italian League.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

Drew Crawford was born on October 18, 1990. His father, Dan Crawford, was a referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His mother, Claudia, has Lithuanian family roots.

By the time he was in sixth grade, Drew decided to focus only on basketball. He became a starter on his high school team as a sophomore. In both his junior and senior years, he was named the DuPage Valley Conference Player of the Year.

Because his dad was an NBA referee, Drew grew up around high-level basketball. He even shot hoops with LeBron James before LeBron became a professional player. He also met basketball legends like Reggie Miller early in his life. In high school, experts rated him as one of the best shooting guards in the country. Drew was also an excellent student, earning A+ grades.

College Basketball Career

Drew Crawford played college basketball for the Northwestern Wildcats. He had many impressive moments during his time there.

Freshman Year Highlights (2009-2010)

On December 13, 2009, Drew scored 35 points in a game against North Carolina A&T. The next day, he was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week. In March 2010, he was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the media. He was also named to the All-Freshman team.

Drew finished his first season with two "double-doubles." This means he had double-digit numbers in two different stats, like points and rebounds, in a single game.

Academic and Athletic Success (2010-2012)

In February 2011, Drew was chosen as one of the top 40 Academic All-District players. This made him a finalist for the Academic All-American team. He achieved his third career double-double in March 2011.

In November 2011, Drew was again named Big Ten Player of the Week. He scored 34 points in a game on December 22, 2011. In February 2012, he was named to the Academic All-American second team. He was also selected as a third-team All-Big Ten player by both coaches and media.

Overcoming Injury and Senior Year (2012-2014)

During his senior year, Drew had to have surgery on his right shoulder. This injury ended his season early.

The next year, he returned as a "redshirt senior." This means he got an extra year to play because of his injury. He started the season as the Big Ten's active career scoring leader. On November 9, 2013, he began the season with a double-double. He scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

On January 29, 2014, Drew scored 30 points and had 8 rebounds. This helped Northwestern win a big game against Wisconsin. He was again named an Academic All-District player. In February 2014, he was named Big Ten Conference Co-Athlete of the Week. He was also recognized as the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.

On February 20, 2014, Drew was named a first-team Academic All-America selection. By the end of his college career, he was Northwestern's all-time leader in games played and games started. He earned his fourth Academic All-Big Ten award in 2014.

Professional Basketball Career

After college, Drew Crawford began his professional basketball journey. He has played for many teams in different countries.

Starting in the NBA G League (2014-2015)

Drew was not chosen in the 2014 NBA draft. However, he joined the New Orleans Pelicans for the 2014 NBA Summer League. In September 2014, he signed with the Orlando Magic. He was later waived by the Magic.

Five days later, he joined the Erie BayHawks in the NBA Development League (now called the G League). He had a strong debut, scoring 22 points and getting 9 rebounds.

Playing in Israel and Germany (2015-2017)

In July 2015, Drew played for the Orlando Magic again in the 2015 NBA Summer League. In August 2015, he signed with Bnei Herzliya in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

In July 2016, Drew joined the Toronto Raptors for the 2016 NBA Summer League. He signed with the Raptors in August but was later waived. In November, he signed with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in the German Bundesliga.

Return to Israel and Italian MVP (2017-2019)

On August 7, 2017, Drew returned to Israel. He signed a one-year deal with Maccabi Rishon LeZion. In November 2017, he scored a season-high 32 points in a game.

In July 2018, Drew signed with the Italian team Vanoli Cremona. On May 25, 2019, he scored a career-high 33 points in a playoff game. He helped Cremona reach the semifinals of the Italian League. In 34 games for Cremona, he averaged 17.7 points per game. On May 13, 2019, Drew Crawford was named the Italian League MVP.

Recent Teams (2019-Present)

On July 20, 2019, Drew signed with Gaziantep in the Turkish Basketball Super League. He played 29 games for them, averaging 12.9 points.

In January 2020, Drew returned to Italy. He signed with Olimpia Milano for the rest of the EuroLeague season.

On July 5, 2020, he signed with Basket Brescia Leonessa in Italy. On July 19, 2021, Drew signed with MoraBanc Andorra in Spain.

On August 29, 2022, he signed with Dolomiti Energia Trento in Italy. On August 13, 2023, he signed with Hapoel Holon in Israel.

As of late 2023, Drew Crawford joined Maccabi Ramat Gan in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, where he continues to play.

See also

In Spanish: Drew Crawford para niños