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Meet Jerice Crouch

March 31, 2011 - Premier Basketball League (PBL)
Rochester RazorSharks News Release


Lazarus Sims played only two seasons as a Rochester RazorShark, but his number 3 hangs from the Blue Cross Arena rafters as the team's only retired uniform. The former Syracuse University basketball star and now Orange assistant coach, continues to contribute to the Sharks. He brought in Jerice Crouch.

"He knew I was trying to find someplace to play," said Crouch. "He's like my big brother. I try to make him proud. He was an iconic figure in Syracuse. He took a liking to my game when I was young and he's been mentoring me ever since."

Theirs remains a special relationship.

"You only meet a few great people and you want to keep them in your circle. Whenever I come home I give him a call and try to go up and work out with the SU guys."

Crouch has done all right for himself since his arrival in 2007.

"I was at the bottom of the depth chart," says Crouch. "I had to work my way in here. Steve Hailey got hurt. Coach threw me in the starting lineup and I've played ever since."

Now in his fourth season in Rochester, Crouch was a Premier Basketball League All-Star last year, was on the All-PBL Playoff team and is the league's all time assist leader. Crouch might be the quickest player in the league.

"I've come a long way. I was more of just a scorer. These last four years the coaches have slowed my game down and I see the game differently. I learned to play at a fast pace, but I see it at a slower rate."

Crouch played on two PBL championship teams. He sees reasons to believe this could be his third. Oddly enough he feels the Sharks turnaround came in a February 5th defeat at Lawton-Fort Sill, against the defending league champs. It was a defeat that left Rochester with a 2-6 record.

"Even though we lost, I felt good. I felt like we played hard. We just had a few mistakes, a few things that were on us, more than them being a good team. We just ran with that and never looked back really."

This has been a season of individual accomplishment too. Crouch just scored his 1200th point as a RazorShark. He moved past Demond Stewart to become the Sharks' third all time scorer. Crouch has also played in 88 consecutive games for the Sharks, a new team record. As a fourth year Shark, he is the second longest tenured.

"Even though I'm 26, I'm kind of one one of the older guys. It comes with the territory. I'm a young old 26. As long as my body doesn't feel like it I'll be fine."

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