It's time for John Crider to play basketball

Topeka Capital-Journal, The,  Dec 27, 2001  by Ken Corbitt Capital-Journal

By Ken Corbitt, The Capital-Journal

It's time for John Crider to play basketball.

Three and a half years spent primarily watching the game has Crider chomping at the bit to get into the action, and the time draws near. Crider, who transferred from Kansas to Washburn last January, makes his Ichabods debut on Friday.

Forced to sit out the first semester of the season under NCAA rules, Crider dons a Washburn uniform for the first time against Lock Haven in the WIBW Holiday Tournament at 8 p.m. Friday at Lee Arena.

"It's been a while, so I'm ready to get out there and help our team continue to win," Crider said Wednesday prior to the Ichabods' first practice following a holiday break. "I just want to get out there and have fun and contribute."

Crider, a 6-foot-4 guard, had a sensational high school career at Horton, leaving as the school's career scoring leader with 2,008 points. He was the Gatorade state player of the year as a senior in 1998 when he averaged 31.3 points and 11.1 rebounds, which led to a scholarship offer from KU coach Roy Williams.

"You can't turn that down, not from one of the greatest programs in the nation," said Crider, who fulfilled a lifelong dream when he signed a letter of intent with the Jayhawks.

That dream began to tarnish, however, as he rarely got off the bench. Crider appeared in 27 games in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons, playing a total of 56 minutes. When a deep thigh bruise sidelined him early last season, he began to evaluate his future and made the decision to transfer to Washburn.