Sports: In the end, Crawford still positive

In the end, Crawford still positive

By BRIAN LANDMAN

TALLAHASSEE -- Senior guard Adrian Crawford doesn't like to show his emotions and is hoping he can maintain his composure tonight as he is honored in a pregame ceremony.

"It'll be crazy," he said.

Kind of like his career here. After following Steve Robinson and his father, Coleman Crawford, from Tulsa, he had to sit out a season in compliance with NCAA transfer rules. That was the season FSU reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

In the past three years, knee injuries have prevented him from realizing the promise he has flashed. Remember his seven three-pointers against Temple in December 1998 that nearly fueled an upset of the Owls? How many operations was that ago?

It indeed has been crazy.

Things, he said stoically, have not gone as he would have liked.

"But the way I look is, you take positives from everything you do," Crawford said. "I was being prepared for something in my future, to be able to handle the ups and downs that you go through. The thing people don't realize is that the things you learn in basketball puts you so far ahead in life."

Robinson agrees, adding that Crawford has shown uncommon determination by overcoming his adversity to be a leader; he's one of the three captains this season with junior forward Antwuan Dixon and senior point guard Delvon Arrington. (Arrington won't be honored as a departing senior. He came to FSU as a partial qualifier and is set to graduate this year, his fourth, so he should regain his lost year of eligibility and return in 2001-02.)

"Adrian had an opportunity to play college basketball at the highest level and play against some of the best competition that a college player can face in some of the best arenas you can play in, so he's had a lot of good experiences," Robinson said. "We've had a lot of good experiences with Adrian. ... I'm happy that I've had an opportunity to see him go through his career and that he's been a part of what we're trying to do here."

FOCUS ON HITTING: After her team's less than stellar performance at the plate last weekend at the FAU/Worth Invitational, which put the onus on the pitching and defense, softball coach Joanne Graf said she will emphasis hitting this week.

FSU (17-3) is batting .275. In its losses, two of which came last weekend in a tournament it rallied to win, FSU has two runs. Graf and her staff will have the players watch videotape of their at-bats, showing how they too often are guilty of chasing poor pitches.

"Now, it's time they realize what they're doing," said Graf, whose team hosts Central Michigan, Northwestern and Ball State in the Seminole Challenge beginning Friday. "When they can see it on tape, they believe you. They never believe you before that."

SHOOTS AND SCORES: Women's soccer coach Patrick Baker continued to add top-shelf prospects with extensive national team experience to his young team that reached the Sweet 16 in its first NCAA Tournament appearance last year.

Central defender Katie Beal, the program's first Parade All-American, headlines the small but elite group that includes goalkeeper Kerry York, player of the year in Maryland; midfielders Camie Bybee, player of the year in Oklahoma, and Marion Cagle; and midfield/forward Jez Ratliff. Baker also received commitments from goalkeepers Ali Mimms and Joy McKenzie, adding needed depth behind York.

"The last two years, we signed extremely large classes (13 and nine players)," he said. "This was the first one we could address some identifiable needs and I think we did. It's really a dynamic group."

- Brian Landman covers Florida State athletics. He can be reached at (813) 226-3347 or by e-mail at landman@sptimes.com.