Stanhope Elmore’s eighth-grade superstar Kuraji Crosby is on an absolute tear.
The Mustangs hosted Wetumpka last Thursday night but lost 55-38. Despite this, Crosby amassed a 10-point, 13-rebound performance.
On the year, she is averaging a double-double with 13.7 rebounds and 10.6 points per game.
“She has not reached her ceiling yet,” Stanhope Elmore coach Kelvin Stokes said. “She's one of the top players that I've coached over the last 23 years. She's gotten more physical and stronger, and she's gotten tougher, meaner, understanding the aspects of the game.”
Crosby has also developed an intensity down low as she is averaging five blocks per game.
With Stokes now electing to play a bigger lineup, Crosby has become a Swiss army knife in the Mustang’s playbook.
“She plays with the IQ, and now she plays from Nos. 1 to 5,” Stokes said. “Now, having her do multiple assignments, she can play the point guard spot behind her sister. I have a lineup now that I go with her as a point guard with a big lineup that she's bringing the ball up the floor, so I'm excited to see her grow.”
Crosby’s ability to do whatever it takes on the floor has made her a mismatch for any opponent she’s up against.
“This year with her size and her strength, she's gotten better, and become a huge mismatch for other teams, so I put her in the post so she could dominate more on the boards,” Stokes said. “She's really a big guard, so last year, she played the No. 3 more than anything. Now you're getting to see her handle the ball more and more.”
