Sophomore guard Elijah Crawford has committed to Villanova, per his Instagram. The transfer from the University of Illinois Chicago has two years of eligibility remaining.
Crawford hails from Augusta, GA and played at Augusta Christian as well as Brewster Academy in NH in high school.
Crawford, six-foot-three, was a four-star recruit out of Brewster and ranked No.96 nationally, as well as a top-20 point guard in the nation.
Crawford spent his freshman year at BYU, where he averaged 1.2 points per game and appeared in 21 games. That season, the Cougars finished third place in the Big 12 Conference and made it to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament.
As a sophomore at UIC, Crawford averaged 14.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He led the team in points per game as well as assists. He appeared in 23 games and started in 17.
He earned Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week twice, once during the week of Feb.16 and again in Feb. 23.
Crawford was named to the Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference and All-Newcomer Team.
Former transfer portal prospect, DJ Wagner committed to Maryland yesterday after taking a visit to Villanova. Former St.Mary’s guard Mikey Lewis was scheduled to go to Villanova today, however, he did not end up coming to campus, The Villanovan learned.
Sophomore guard Malachi Palmer entered the portal on Friday, April 17, leaving Tyler Perkins and Matt Hodge as the only remaining players from the 2025-26 squad.
Crawford is the first point guard that Kevin Willard has landed from the transfer portal, and will likely serve as Villanova’s starting guard.
Yesterday, graduate transfer Jake Fiegan announced his commitment to Villanova. The 6-foot-4 guard comes from Cornell, where he averaged 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
The transfer portal will remain open until April 21. There is no set deadline for players in the portal to commit to a school.