Air Crandall

[ponyscott]

The playa's are coming to SMU...COMMITTED!

[CoxBizGrad]

Just saw he only averaged 1 PPG with Illinois. He should be able to do this x 17 in CUSA right? Welcome to the Hilltop!

[Harry0569]

luther head's brother

[hoopmanx]

Good athlete, but he's sucked royally so far in college. Just a depth thing

[Pony ^]

Welcome Crandall!

[ponydawg]

His senior year in high school he has 2 knee surgeries, so he was rusty his freshman year. Had issues his sophomore year and supposedly wasn't a good fit with their coach (per illinois boards). Hopefully a new setting will do him and Turner good. I'm sure they will be hungry after having to sit.

[hoopmanx]

His senior year in high school he has 2 knee surgeries, so he was rusty his freshman year. Had issues his sophomore year and supposedly wasn't a good fit with their coach (per illinois boards). Hopefully a new setting will do him and Turner good. I'm sure they will be hungry after having to sit.

You have to have a real issue w/a coach to get that little time on a very average team. Especially a coach trying to save his own butt

[CoxBizGrad]

It's going to be hit or miss with some of these guys with checkered pasts that he's bringing in. Can't disagree with the approach since he wants to get better soon. This time next year will be more critical as they build for the future and have almost a full year to plant the seeds. LB does know he has a short window here and wants to win NOW. Love the sense of urgency and no longer striving for mediocrity.

[PerunaPunch]

http://espn.go.com/chicago/ncb/story/_/id/7914844/former-illinois-fighting-illini-guard-crandall-head-transfers-smu

Former Illinois shooting guard Crandall Head committed to SMU on Thursday.

Head, a sophomore, visited the SMU campus for two days and committed before leaving Thursday morning. He played 1½ seasons at Illinois before leaving in December. He will have to sit out next season.

Head said his relationship with SMU assistant Jerrance Howard, who also recruited Head to Illinois, was the main reason for his commitment.

"He's a great friend. He's like a brother to me," Head said of Howard. "Everything he told me about SMU was true. Coach (Larry) Brown is great to be around. The coaching staff was pretty good. The facilities they're working on look great. They have some great players coming in. I got a good look at everything.

"I just want to get back out there and play. It's time for me to get better and work on my game."

Howard, an assistant under former Illinois coach Bruce Weber, was not retained by new coach John Groce, who was hired in March.

Head said in January he planned to transfer to DePaul, but he said his situation changed with Howard recently being hired at SMU by Brown, the Hall of Fame coach who also added former Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich as his top assistant.

Head averaged 1.0 points, 0.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 9.2 minutes in nine games with Illinois last season. He was a highly touted recruit for the Illini out of Rich South High School in Richton Park, Ill. He was ranked No. 79 in the Class of 2010 by ESPNU 100.

[PerunaPunch]

So it sounds like we're loading up for year 1 in the Big East with a crown jewel in a renovated Moody and the transfer of two elite players (#11 and #84 nationally).

Any more word on players who can contribute next year?

[hoopmanx]

Here's hoping, but Head doesn't really equal loading up. If he ever starts, we're a cellar dweller, if his college years are the right gauge. I actually think we could have done a lot better, this was just easy

[MustangIcon]

Maybe head doesn't start but hopefully he is a solid rotation player. I think that Turner and Russell will be the starting back-court in 2013 anyways.

What we really need to add is a banger or 2. If we go into Big East play expecting Blaise, Cannen, and Jalen to be the extent of our inside presence we are going to get owned.

[hoopmanx]

Maybe head doesn't start but hopefully he is a solid rotation player. I think that Turner and Russell will be the starting back-court in 2013 anyways.

What we really need to add is a banger or 2. If we go into Big East play expecting Blaise, Cannen, and Jalen to be the extent of our inside presence we are going to get owned.

Agree w/all of that. Need bigs badly.

[Grant Carter]

Here's hoping, but Head doesn't really equal loading up. If he ever starts, we're a cellar dweller, if his college years are the right gauge. I actually think we could have done a lot better, this was just easy

I agree it was clearly easy with his relationship with Howard, but the other thing to think about is that Howard had an up close view of Head for 1.5 years while he was coaching him so he is the perfect person to make a judgement on him. I would assume he thinks there is potential for him to improve or he would not have brought him in.

[hoopmanx]

Here's hoping, but Head doesn't really equal loading up. If he ever starts, we're a cellar dweller, if his college years are the right gauge. I actually think we could have done a lot better, this was just easy

I agree it was clearly easy with his relationship with Howard, but the other thing to think about is that Howard had an up close view of Head for 1.5 years while he was coaching him so he is the perfect person to make a judgement on him. I would assume he thinks there is potential for him to improve or he would not have brought him in.

Well, he's a high major athlete that's long. At worst, he helps our depth and upgrades the current roster. He's just not some focal point or even a true building block moving forward, just a piece. So long as people know what they're getting and aren't looking for the top 100 kid of 3 years ago, no ones expectations be messed with