Published: November 09, 2009 09:27 pm      

Crabaugh heads back to the hardwood for Stars

Former Duke basketball standout Greg Paulus shook up the college sports world earlier this year when he headed back to school to play football for Syracuse University. While the former Blue Devil star grabbed the headlines, Mindy Crabaugh had the idea first.

After an impressive four-year career with the Oklahoma City University softball team, the Edmond native decided she wanted more. Crabaugh, who is now a graduate student at OCU, is suiting up for one more year, but this time it’s on the hardwood as a member of the womens’ basketball team.

“Playing basketball was really hard in the beginning just the physical differences in the sports, but it’s been fun,” said Crabaugh. “It’s just a completely different game and I like it a lot.”

OCU womens’ basketball coach Rob Edmisson said he was thrilled and awed by Crabaugh’s decision. While the transition is a difficult one, he believes Crabaugh has what it takes to succeed.

“She’s had a stellar softball career and to switch gears at that point in today’s world of competition it’s very difficult,” Edmisson said. “I don’t think people understand how difficult of a challenge it is what she’s trying to do. At 22 years old, she’s trying to jump back in full swing and come out and compete against kids that have been committing their whole lives to basketball. That says a lot about her as a person.”

Crabaugh, who was also a basketball standout at Edmond North High School, considered playing college hoops, but her first love was always playing softball for the Stars. Crabaugh fed her passion for basketball as a member of the school’s junior varsity squad, while turning an outstanding career with the softball team.

Last fall Crabaugh, a two-time academic all-American, was looking into graduate school and was intrigued by OCU’s one-year fast track program in health and human performance and possibility of playing college basketball. She then checked NAIA eligibility rules and found out she had one year remaining if she stayed at the same school and did not play JV ball as a senior.

No one was more excited about the decision than Edmisson.

“It takes a pretty special person to be able to be doing what she’s doing,” Edmisson said. “Obviously academically she’s taken care of her business since she’s been here. And from an athletic standpoint she’s just one of those kids that loves to compete. She’s just one of those kids that loves to compete and we’re just really excited to have her part of our program.”

While playing JV basketball prevented some of the rust from building on her game, getting into basketball shape for the season has been a challenge for Crabaugh. She hit the gym almost immediately after the Stars softball season came to a close last summer and has been working ever since. Edmisson said it will take some time but believes the 5-foot-11 guard can be a valuable member of the team.

“Mindy is a very good basketball player and once she gets acclimated to being back in the swing of being a full-time basketball player she is going to contribute to our program,” Edmisson said. “She is going to help us in a number of ways. She has a very high basketball IQ, she’s a great competitor, great work ethic and challenges people every day. She’ll probably be that kid that comes off the bench when we need a spark and she’ll be the one to give it to us.”

Crabaugh saw action in the Stars first game of the season Saturday night, playing three minutes in the 82-73 win over Langston. The Stars will back on the floor tonight against Central Oklahoma at 7 p.m. at Abe Lemons Arena.