Aaron Craft: well-rounded off the court as well as on

The sport’s world has focused its attention on New Orleans this weekend for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, the semifinals and championship game to decide this year’s national champion.

            
Like the seasons before it this season is continuing the trend that college basketball is being dominated by underclassmen, who are just stopping by on their way to the NBA. Of the four teams remaining there could be as many as nine underclassmen to enter the NBA draft, three of which are freshmen.

           
 This is of growing concern to many who still want the term “student-athlete” to mean something. But for those there is a ray of hope: Ohio State’s Aaron Craft. A sophomore, exercise science major who carries a 3.88 GPA and dreams of being a doctor, not a professional athlete, although he’s said he’d love the opportunity.


While several NBA-bound “student-athletes” quit going to classes the second half of the season knowing grades won’t come out until their college careers are over, Craft continues to ace chemistry and biology courses.

In an era when offense makes you money, when seemingly every child envisions themselves as Michael Jordan, the star who always shoots the ball, Craft focuses on defense and his ability to set up teammates to do the scoring. He has garnered several defensive awards the past two seasons, but perhaps the highest honors he has received come in post-game press-conferences where opposing coaches talk about the way he single-handedly disrupted their offenses.

During Ohio State’s run through the NCAA tournament Craft’s play has resulted in more attention being given to the 6’1” guard. However, he has remained humble, always pointing to his teammates, coaches and family. 


Perhaps his strongest attribute is his toughness. Craft grew up competing against his older brother and his friends, and from experience competitive older brothers are not easy to deal with. His toughness is always on display, whether it’s diving for loose balls, running head-long into screens or playing all forty minutes with the same high level of intensity.

But last Saturday night in the quarterfinals of the tournament Craft needed a little extra toughness. At the same time Aaron took the court in Boston against top-seeded Syracuse his older brother Brandon was boarding a plane to go fight in Afghanistan. Craft admitted it was hard and put the importance of the game in perspective, but was encouraged by his brother to do his best.
The younger Craft did as ordered and did a little of everything, even coach after he fouled out with a minute remaining, to help his team win.


So, while the rest of the sports world praises the athlete attributes of the other collegiate athletes who use their scholarships as a pit-stop on the way to millions in the NBA remember Aaron Craft. A young man, who loves the game, plays it the right way, but remains focused on life off the court.  And he is better off because life is not lived on the basketball court.