He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats and was selected with the 58th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA draft.

[2] Crawford attended Renaissance High School in Detroit, where he led his team to a perfect 27–0 record and a state title.

Crawford became a bigger part of the team's rotation in his sophomore season, averaging 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

On March 20, 2008, Crawford closed his career with a loss to Marquette Golden Eagles in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

[14] On October 12, he left Erie to sign in the newly formed AmeriLeague;[15] however, the league folded after it was discovered the founder was a con-artist.