The worst is over, the long road to recovery is essentially in the rear-view mirror and the day that China Crosby can play in a basketball game again is drawing nearer.
The Manhattan Center grad and McDonald’s All-American had her freshman season at the University of Virginia cut short due to a torn ACL last January. If Crosby got hurt just two games earlier, she would have been able to redshirt and get the season of eligibility back as per NCAA rules.
But for as much bad luck as she has had in the last seven months, Crosby is uncommonly positive and optimistic. With her rehabilitation going as planned, she expects to be cleared by mid-September, well in advance of the Cavaliers’ preseason.
“I’m excited,” the Bronx native said about playing again. “Why wouldn’t I be excited? I’m just not trying to show it too much. I’m just gonna wait it out, do whatever I gotta do. I feel like I’m a better player now, feel like this is a lesson learned. Life throws things at you and you just gotta take it and run with it, so I took this and became a better player and a better leader.”
That isn’t to say Crosby, who never had a serious injury before now, has had it easy. She says the day she was told she’d be out for the season still replays over and over in her head. The rehab, she said, was harder and more painful than she anticipated.
“It’s a hard experience, period, because I had so many dreams set,” said Crosby, who led Manhattan Center to the PSAL championship game as a junior. “I had [ACC] rookie of the year set. I had going to the NCAA tournament. I had my whole city behind me. It was real hard to go down, but you just can’t think of the negative things. You gotta look at the past, leave it behind and continue with the future and that’s what I’m doing.”
Before she got hurt in a game at Colorado on Jan. 2, Crosby started in each of Virginia’s first 13 games, averaging 5.9 points and 2.4 assists in her first foray at playing point guard on the college level. One of her many regrets – secondary to not getting to play in the NCAA tournament where UVA lost in the first round – was that she didn’t even get a chance to play a conference game.
“I feel like [the NCAA] should start to make it if you didn’t play any games in the ACC season, then you can redshirt, because I didn’t play not one ACC game,” Crosby said.
That, of course, will change this year. Crosby is likely to continue along the path that she was recruited for: being Virginia’s tough, New York City point guard. She’s looking forward to playing alongside new commit Bria Smith of Christ the King next year, saying Smith will love Charlottesville.
But first things first – this coming season. The long road back is almost done now. She can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“My goal now is to just be that leader that Coach Ryan is looking for, contribute in all kinds of ways,” Crosby said. … “Even though I’m not a captain, I know I’m a primary leader and I know I have to lead this team. I’m not looking to score 30 a game, but I’m looking to set goals high.”
