Prospect Spotlight: Keisan Crosby (2017)
Keisan Crosby looked at as an opportunity. With the Billups 17U Elite team this season loaded at the point guard position with two of the state’s best — Jaizec Lottie and Elijah Blake — Crosby viewed his role as the…
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Continue ReadingKeisan Crosby looked at as an opportunity.
With the Billups 17U Elite team this season loaded at the point guard position with two of the state’s best — Jaizec Lottie and Elijah Blake — Crosby viewed his role as the starting point guard on the Billups 17U Select team as a chance to grow.
“Playing with the Red Select team, I felt like I was able to be more of a scorer and more of a leader than I was,” said Crosby, a 5-11 rising senior at Valor Christian. “I was to have that score-first mentality that I really feel will help me going into this year.”
Crosby was a dependable backcourt piece for the Eagles last year on their way to an appearance in the state title game. He averaged 5.5 points and four assists per game, a latter a number that ranked among the state’s big-school numbers.
“Keisan understands transition basketball and primes our fast-break attack,” said Valor coach Troy Pachner, who got the Eagles to the title game, where they lost to Pueblo West, in his first season at the school. “Additionally, he is an outstanding finisher at either side of the basket and is a committed and quick-handed on-ball defender.”
Crosby said Pachner has urged him to be more trusting of his ability to score the basketball, an area where he gained strong confidence during the grassroots season.
“He’s always been pushing me to be a lot more aggressive and to get by my man,” Crosby said.
Crosby said he relished the up-tempo pace Pachner brought to Valor last season and is eager to help run he show for a team that should have the tools to make another deep playoff run. And he’s been working to make his 3-point shot more consistent so that he can be another offensive weapon when players like Jalen Sanders or Kayle Knuckles are drawing more attention.
Crosby, who is staying in shape by playing soccer in the fall, has his sights set on a college basketball career. He said he played well and earned strong small-college interest, primarily from Division II and Division III programs on the east coast, after attending a HoopGroup camp in Philadelphia this summer.
Crosby believes he and the Eagles have plenty left to prove.
“I’m really excited for it,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun run. We should have won it last year, but it will be even more fun to go back.”