Braelen Crump likes the speed game.
When the Camden Catholic High School boys basketball team changed philosophies and turned to a quicker transition game than in years past, it looked to Crump to get it started. He just happens to be a track star.
“This year, we’re pushing it more in transition,” said Crump, a senior point guard. “In other years, we would slow it down and kick it out. This year, we’re looking to run a little more. And that definitely works in my favor.”
Crump is one of the fastest athletes in South Jersey and proved it during the spring, finishing in the top three in the 400 meter run in the Olympic Conference Championships before posting one of the fastest Non-Public times last year by a South Jersey athlete at the state championship meet with a time of 51.16. He also excels in the 200 meter dash and the long jump.
In the wintertime, he’s the Irish’s floor general who does just about everything for his team. And he does it really fast.
“He brings a lot of energy,” Camden Catholic basketball coach Matt Crawford said. “He did things the right way. He played freshman ball and JV, and now he’s ready to lead on varsity and he’s doing well.”
Crump, along with sophomores Tobe Nwobu and Luke Kennevan, have been the three-headed scoring monster through the Irish’s first two games, which were both decisive wins over Cherry Hill West and Overbrook, respectively. Last year, Crump averaged just shy of a dozen points per game. This season, in a small sample, he’s already increased his output to 17 points per game.
“I worked on my shooting and my handling in the offseason,” Crump said. “I know I’m going to have to score more to help us win games, but I prioritize my game around defending.”
When he’s off the court, Crump prioritizes volunteer and community work. He’s spent the holiday seasons collecting food and helping the homeless. He would literally do the heavy lifting, unloading frozen turkeys and canned goods from trucks and later placing them into people’s cars. He said he didn’t mind the extra workout.
“I do a lot of community work,” Crump said. “Thanksgiving drives and Christmas gifts to the homeless. I know people are much less fortunate than me. It feels good helping.”
Crump is a Voorhees resident who attended Christ the King Regional School in Haddonfield prior to high school. He received the Jim Crawford Award in 2018-19 for cross country, basketball and track and field, which is presented to the most outstanding athlete at the school in each sport. His outstanding academics have also followed him through his schooling, as he now takes honors Spanish, literature and history at Camden Catholic. He’s hoping to study business or marketing in college and hopes to either play basketball or run track at the next level. Maybe both.
“We’ll see,” Crump said. “Catholic University is one I think I could do both [sports] at,” He said. “I’ve been talking to their basketball and track coaches there.”
He mentioned Lafayette, Colgate and Lehigh Universities as potential landing spots for track, while Bowdoin College and The College of New Jersey have shown interest in hoops. More offers are rolling in, which shouldn’t come as a surprise for a versatile teen. Crump shows his value each time he laces up his sneakers and begins racing up the court in a flash.
“We don’t usually play that fast, but we have the pieces this year so we’re letting them run a little and it’s working out,” Crawford said. “We know at the end of the day, we need to play half-court basketball in the playoffs. But right now, it’s working.”
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