Christmas Surprise for Crabbe
December 26, 2008
A.W. Prince
BearTerritory.net
Talk about it in the Message Boards. In our recent 2010 Hoops Big Board release, one of the major names that stood out on Cal's recruiting wish list was Allen Crabbe. A 6-foot-4, 170-pound shooting guard from Los Angeles (Calif.) Price high school, Crabbe's significant status is largely because he is one of the best shooters nationally in the 2010 class. He has unlimited range.
Cal spoke with the talented shooter and found out he had a Christmas surprise for us.
"I actually committed to Cal tonight," Crabbe said, making the decision with his family on Christmas Day. "There were a lot of
reasons why I chose Cal, and tonight, my parents and I were talking about how much fun it would be to verbal on Christmas Day."
"So I thought why wait?"
Crabbe, who is averaging approximately 24 points and 8 rebounds this season for the 8-2 Knights – a perennial Div. 5 power in Southern California – did not wait.
"There really isn't one reason I chose Cal; there were a lot of reasons," Crabbe added. "Academics played a big role, as Cal is a
great school. They are up there with the best."
"Also, it's in the Pac-10. That's the conference I want to play in, and just watching Cal this year; I know they are 9-2 and they play a style that's perfect for my game. They have really impressed me."
"It is a just a win-win situation. I'm excited, and I know my parents are real happy. Coach Montgomery said that they had their fingers crossed I'd become a Bear, and he said this made his Christmas. He watched me play a couple of weeks back against Inglewood, so I think he knows what I can do. But it is all about getting better, and I'm just going to keep working real hard on everything."
What does Crabbe bring to Cal's backcourt?
He's a pure shooter, and the type of scorer that opposing defenders mark never to leave open from the perimeter. Crabbe admits to being called "Lil' Reggie Miller" from time to time too, as he's both lanky and adept at shooting from beyond the arc. He reminds us of former Washington signee and current San Jose State star Adrian Oliver. Like Oliver, who was a high-quality shooter without a slashing game prior to his junior season at Modesto Christian, Crabbe began to add that part of his game during the summer prior to his junior season.
That's where things have begun to take off for him.
"I don't really know what I'm shooting from three this year," Crabbe admitted. "Honestly, there hasn't been a game this year where I've just gone off from three. A lot of my points have come inside. I'm also rebounding better this year."
Look for more from Crabbe in the upcoming weeks on BearTerritory.