Tulane Men’s Basketball signs Connor Crabtree to 2018 class

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane men’s basketball head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., has added the second piece to his 2018 recruiting class, announcing the signing of Connor Crabtree to a National Letter of Intent (NLI) on Wednesday.

Crabtree marks the latest addition to the Green Wave, who signed Moses Wood from Galena High School in Reno, Nev., in November during the NCAA’s Early Signing Period.

“We’ve had a verbal commitment from Connor, but we are extremely excited to get to signing day and complete his commitment to Tulane,” Dunleavy said. “He is exactly the type of player we are looking for. Connor is a playmaker, highly-skilled and an excellent outside shooter, making him a very accomplished all-around player. His combination of talent and work ethic give him a great chance to succeed in our system and achieve great things.”

A native of Hillsborough, N.C., Crabtree played his final season of prep ball at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia under head coach Lee Martin after three years at Orange High School in his hometown. In 33 games at Hargrave, he led the team in scoring with 705 points – an average of 21.4 per contest – while putting up 4.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He scored at least 20 points on 19 different occasions, while shooting 53 percent from the field and 51 percent (119-for-233) beyond the 3-point line.

“I chose Tulane for a lot of different reasons,” Crabtree said. “I have a great relationship with the coaches and they really understand me as a player better than anyone else who recruited me. This is a program that’s on the rise, plays in a great conference and a great city. It’s exciting to be a part of that, and I think all of those little things make it a unique place to play.”

The Tigers won the Fork Union Christmas Tournament in December, as Crabtree had 24 points and six assists in the first game before dropping 20 points in the second contest. The team also won the 2018 First Piedmont Corp. Invitational in February, behind 17.5 points and four assists per game by Crabtree.

As a senior at Orange, Crabtree was named Big Eight Player of the Year, District VI Player of the Year and an all-state selection by the Associated Press. He averaged 26 points, five rebounds, four assists and just shy of four steals per game, leading the Panthers to a 23-7 overall record and 11-1 mark in league play. During his junior campaign, he averaged 23 points, five boards, four assists and 1.5 steals, en route to receiving all-conference and all-district honors.

“I think Coach Dunleavy and his staff will help elevate my game a lot,” Crabtree said. “I’m a team-first guy so I’m looking forward to building a strong relationship with my teammates and win as many games as possible.”

In the classroom, Crabtree held a 4.1 cumulative grade point average at Orange and was named to the President’s Commendation List at Hargrave.

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