• In his sixth season on the Navy bench, Crafton serves as
lead scout and also assists in recruiting and player
development.
• Prior to arriving at Navy, Crafton served as video
coordinator and in various administrative capacities at Villanova,
helping the Wildcats to a Sweet 16 appearance in 2005.
• Crafton earned a B.S. in communications from Nyack College
while starring at the point guard position and leading the
Purple Pride to a conference championship in 2000.
NCDS: Jason Crafton, Assoc. Head Coach - Navy ("A Senior Class to be Remembered")
We concluded the regular season with an impressive 20-point victory over Colgate in Alumni Hall. It was senior night and we honored our senior class prior to tip off. This quartet was an inspiring group of guys that brought focus and toughness to the court everyday. Honestly, words can’t describe the respect I have for each guy individually and how they represented Navy Basketball collectively on and off the court.
Each senior was unique in their own way. Point Guard OJ Avworo was one of the best leaders and floor generals you will ever find in college basketball. His energy, communication and presence will truly be missed. Forward Romeo Garcia is without question one of the toughest and hardest working players to ever wear the blue and gold. Romeo inspired his teammates to push their limits daily. Center Mark Veazey’s poise and team 1st attitude helped keep our team chemistry tight. It was a joy to watch Mark’s skills develop and his continuous commitment to improving. While talented swingman Greg Brown’s unstoppable attitude and work ethic impressed everyone in the program. Greg really matured into a leader on and off the court and he learned the importance of playing hard on every possession.
In the final home game of their college basketball careers our seniors were not going to be denied a win. In my 8 years as a college coach, I’ve never seen that level of focus, communication, pride, and passion that we played with. The rest of the team rallied around the seniors and we collectively put together a superior team effort in a 75-55 win.
We embarked on the Conference Tournament having won 6 of our last 10 games. We truly felt that we could beat anybody. Unfortunately, the season ended with a first round loss at Lehigh. Although this senior class will graduate without winning a title they helped cement a strong foundation that branded the culture of Navy Basketball. They became the face of the program and achieved the third best overall record in the Patriot League during their 4-year careers. They also won 3 out of 4 N-Star Games over rival Army.
What will stick in my mind for many years to come, are the parting words that our returning players said to the seniors the night before senior day. It was powerful and special. Their inspiration will help Navy Basketball Teams of the future achieve tremendous success! OJ, Romeo, Mark, and Greg– Thanks for everything!
I would like to personally thank College Chalktalk for this unique opportunity to share our journey this season. I’d also like to thank all the Navy Fans for their continued support.
As always – The journey continues…Go Navy!
* * *
