A longtime relationship with the University of Northern Colorado men’s basketball staff led the state’s former top high school player to the Bears from the NCAA transfer portal. Andrew Crawford went to the University of Colorado Boulder out of ThunderRidge High School in 2024. UNC also recruited Crawford, who’s listed as a 6-foot-8 guard and can play the point, shooting guard and small forward.
A two-time first-team all-state player, Crawford was a highly considered college prospect and among the top 100 nationwide. He knew UNC head coach Steve Smiley and assistant and recruiting coordinator Houston Reed over the years from being in the Colorado hoops scene. Crawford also was familiar with Smiley and Reed’s sons from the AAU circuit.
When Crawford didn’t see the playing time he wanted at CU, he went to the portal. UNC was at the top of his list.
“I’m super excited,” Crawford said. “At CU, I didn’t get my opportunity and it’s totally fine and that’s how basketball goes. I’m trying to come in and make an impact right away, get out there and show what I can do.”
Crawford will begin summer workouts June 1 in Greeley, and he’ll be one of seven new players for the Bears in 2026-27. Six guys return from last year’s team: guard Tanner Braketa, center Hunter Caldwell, guard Vincent Delano, guard Ariik Mawien, guard Steven Ramirez Jr. and center Egan Shields.
Crawford played against Caldwell and Braketa in high school and AAU.
“They’ve been great to me and the visit (to UNC) was the telltale they want me here,” Crawford said.
While the UNC women’s team returns three core players for next season, Smiley and staff lost three guys who were central to the men’s program: Brock Wisne, Zach Bloch and Quinn Denker.
Wisne and Bloch both spent their entire careers at UNC during a time when transfer portal rules changed, allowing athletes to play immediately.
Two other experienced players are also leaving the Bears. Forward Ibu Yamazaki is returning to Japan to play professionally. Forward Ring Nyeri is transferring to Wake Forest of the ACC, according to multiple reports. He averaged 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in his only season at UNC after transferring in from University of Missouri Kansas City.
“It’s a point where it makes sense to make the move,” Smiley said. “Really cool situation for him.”
Coming back to the Bears is the 6-10 Shields, a sophomore last year who went into the transfer portal and then opted to remain at UNC. Shields averaged 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game playing behind Wisne. Shields is the team’s top returning scorer and rebounder from last year.
Smiley and staff were recruiting another player when Shields asked to talk about staying. It was a first for Smiley to have a guy go into the portal and then return.
“Getting him back is as important as anything we’ve done,” Smiley said. “He needs a bigger role and more usage, and we need him to be good. If he’s not good, we’re not going to be good.”
Other guys coming in next month are forward Kaidon Rayfield, a transfer from University of Texas San Antonio; guard Chiante Tramble, a transfer from the University of Southern Mississippi; guard Campbell Blogg, an international player — not a transfer — from Melbourne, Australia; and forward Manning Shareef from Trinidad State College in Trinidad.
Smiley said the goal for the spring recruiting season was to bring in experience to fill in gaps with departures of Bloch, Denker, Wisne and Yamazaki.
“That’s been the focus,” the coach said. “Blogg, Tramble, Crawford, Rayfield.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Last fall, UNC signed two high school players: forward-center Drew Paine, also from ThunderRidge, and guard Jeremiah Hammond from Denver, who played scholastically at Cherry Creek, Colorado Prep and then for Christopher Columbus High School in Miami.
