JJ Crawford
JJ Crawford, also known as Jayen Jamal Crawford, is an American basketball player from Seattle, Washington. He attends Rainier Beach High School and is known for his rise as a highly ranked recruit, his college scholarship offers, and his selection to the 2026 United States men's under-17 national team.
Early life
Crawford developed an interest in basketball as a toddler and watched games while other children played. He began posting play recaps and college offers on his Instagram account, @jjcrawford11, after joining the platform in October 2023.
He first attracted college scouting attention while in middle school. The University of Montana offered him his first basketball scholarship when he was in seventh grade, followed by offers from Arizona State, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, Rutgers, Sacramento State, San Diego, San Francisco, USC, and Washington.
Rainier Beach
Crawford enrolled at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, the same school attended by his father, and plays as a guard for the Rainier Beach Vikings. Before beginning his freshman season, he had received 11 NCAA Division I offers, and Michigan made his 12th offer in January 2026.
Rainier Beach finished the 2026 season with a 29-1 record and won the Washington Class 3A state championship. Crawford averaged 19 points, four rebounds, and four assists per game, earned second-team all-state honors across all classifications, and received the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year award.
He was also rated a five-star recruit and the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2029 by ESPN. Additional college offers came from Missouri and Rutgers in 2024 and Washington in 2025.
National team career
Crawford attended the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team minicamp in Colorado Springs in October 2025 and participated in the April 2026 minicamp in Indianapolis. He was then invited to the 36-player training camp for the United States team competing at the 2026 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Turkey.
He made the 12-player United States roster as the only player from the class of 2029. At the tournament in Istanbul, he helped the United States win the gold medal and averaged 3.8 points, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 rebound across five games.
Quick facts
- Crawford received his first basketball scholarship offer from the University of Montana while he was in seventh grade.
- Before his freshman season at Rainier Beach, Crawford had received 11 NCAA Division I offers, with Michigan becoming his 12th offer in January 2026.
- Crawford helped Rainier Beach finish 29-1 and win the 2026 Washington Class 3A state championship.
- He averaged 19 points, four rebounds, and four assists per game during Rainier Beach's 2026 season.
- Crawford was named the 2026 MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year and received second-team all-state honors across Washington classifications.
- ESPN rated Crawford as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2029.
- Crawford made the United States men's under-17 national team as its only player from the class of 2029.
- He helped the United States win the gold medal at the 2026 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Istanbul.
- Crawford averaged 3.8 points, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 rebound across five games at the 2026 FIBA Under-17 World Cup.
- His Instagram account, @jjcrawford11, features play recaps and college offers and has more than 210,000 followers.
FAQs about JJ Crawford
What year was JJ Crawford born?
JJ Crawford was born in 2010.
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