It's the most important basketball season yet of Brittney Crews’ life — though she won’t play a single game.
The Jefferson graduate, who made her reputation as a long-range shooter for the Lady Dragons, is red-shirting for the University of Georgia women’s basketball team after transferring from Brenau.
Though Crews can’t dress for games or travel with the team per NCAA transfer rules, she is a full participant in practice as she bides her time for next year. Crews is growing accustomed to the fact that she’s finally arrived as a Lady Dog, but the moment is never lost on her.
“I definitely feel like a Lady Dog,” said Crews, who played her senior season at Jefferson in 2007-2008. “But I still have to pinch myself … I can’t believe I’m here. I think I’m always going to have that feeling.”
Crews’ lifelong goal was to play for Andy Landers and the storied Lady Dogs program, but up until two years ago, Crews had no idea that she’d wind up in Athens. A chance meeting with Landers at a coaches’ clinic — in which Brenau was the demo team — changed that.
During the clinic, Landers asked for a shooter to demonstrate a play. Crews volunteered and nailed a three-pointer in front of the Hall of Fame coach. From there, Crews began charting her leap from small-school basketball at Brenau to big-time hoops in the SEC at Georgia.
“I was like, ‘alright, this is not you’re settling place,’” she said.
First, Crews transferred to UGA and sent Lady Dog coaches a DVD of her highlights at Brenau. She also was in contact with one of UGA’s assistant coaches about a tryout.
An arrangement was finally set up for her to workout in front of Landers in late August.
Crews recounts the events.
Nervous the night before, she and her parents prayed and Crews came to a peace with the situation.
The next day, Crews began warming up on the floor when Landers greeted her and asked what she was doing.
Crews began to explain, but Landers again asked what she was doing there. Crews told Landers that she planned on trying out and playing for his Lady Dogs.
“Do you think you can just come from Brenau and play at UGA?,” he asked her.
Landers was talking about eligibility: since Crews was a transfer, she couldn’t play for UGA this season.
“But don’t freak out, because this can be your red shirt year,” Landers told her.
Then came the words that she’d worked her entire life to hear.
“You’re on the team,” Landers told her.
At that moment, Crews did begin to freak out — with joy — and immediately called her father. She describes the turn of events as a spiritual journey.
“The Lord showed me that I have to trust him,” Crews said.
Having a red shirt season is actually a blessing for Crews in that she can improve her game, not have to worry about playing time and be ready “to rock and roll” next year, as she put it.
Crews said she’s still adjusting to the intensity and quickness of big-time Division I basketball. Before the season began, some practices lasted three hours, followed some days by weightlifting sessions.
Crews said she also had to adjust to the constant demand for precision. The little things are stressed in a big way at UGA.
“It’s very detailed,” she said.
Of course, practicing against some of the best college players in America has only expanded her game.
“These girls are amazing that I’m playing with. I don’t know if I’m helping them get much better, but they’re helping me,” Crews said with a laugh.
But she’s doing her part to keep up.
Outside of practice, Crews probably puts in two hours of extra work between additional running, shooting and quickness drills.
As for the trusty outside shot, Crews still has it.
“The Lord has blessed,” she said. “It’s still pretty good. Coaches just keep stressing not to be a penetrator. I should be spotting up.”
Though she can’t wear a Lady Dog uniform, she can sit on the bench for home games. That allowed her to have a front row seat for UGA’s Nov. 14 opener against Georgia Southern.
Ironically, friend and former Lady Dragon teammate Mimi DuBose was just across the court playing for the visiting Lady Eagles.
“It would have been even more awesome if I could have played against her … I’m very proud of her.”
Crews will do everything in her power to be on the court next year, pointing to this summer as a major offseason.
She plans to immerse herself in training, working extensively on her quickness and ball handling skills.
Crews said she couldn’t really gauge herself this past summer for preparations for UGA. She knows exactly what do to this time around.
“Hopefully I’ll be a completely different person,” she said of her skill set.
In the meantime, she’s been handed more good news. Crews — who has been commuting to UGA — learned about two weeks ago that she’s been awarded an athletic scholarship that will allow her to live on campus at East Campus Village next semester.
“The Lord continues to bless,” she said.
And that’s been the constant in his process for her.
Crews believes all that’s happened to her since hitting that shot in front of Landers two years ago is part of a bigger plan.
“Two years ago, I had no idea I would be here,” Crews said. “The Lord knew this is where I wanted to be.”
