Villanova Junior Elijah Crawford the Wildcats’ Next Point Guard? | Meet the Wildcats

This is one in a series of stories previewing each member of the 2026-27 Villanova Men’s Basketball roster.

Point guard Elijah Crawford transferred to Villanova after putting up 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game at the University of Illinois Chicago in a season that saw him miss more than a month due to injury. He’ll face a significant talent jump between the Missouri Valley Conference and the Big East but, even though head coach Kevin Willard remains coy about his starting lineup, Crawford is the Wildcats’ best option at point guard this season.

The 6-foot-3, 187 pound junior doesn’t have the reputation of a defensive standout, but Willard liked what he saw from him in summer practices. Crawford told Philadelphia Sports Now “if I get beat, I’m gonna do everything in my power to get back in front, and I play really hard: I make mistakes, but I make it up by playing really hard,” and that sort of mindset should help him in every facet of the game.

Scoring Flair

He’s a strong scorer, making 52.4 percent of shots from two-point range. A 27.6 percent rate from beyond the arc could help defenses cheat against him, but shooters around him like Jake Fiegen and even Tyler Perkins should help create looks. This year’s team will provide a stark contrast with Villanova’s historical style, focusing on a fortified paint presence over outstanding guard play. Even so, Crawford’s biggest impact on this Wildcats’ team will likely be as a distributor.

Crawford averaged a hair over one turnover per assist last season (2.6 and 4.9 per game, respectively) and, even with the increase in competition as he transitions to the Big East, the talent around him and another year of growth in a healthy season should help Crawford get up to speed. He already got a taste of major conference basketball as a true freshman at BYU, playing behind and learning from future lottery pick Egor Dëmin… and with a stated intention of playing hard and trying to get better, Crawford should find a way to make things work.