Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week for Feb. 3, 2025
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Monday, February 3, 2025 | 11:26 PM
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week – Connor Crossey
School: Franklin Regional
Class: Senior
Height: 6-foot-1
Position: Guard
#Earned: A year ago, Franklin Regional was the toast of Westmoreland County, reaching both the WPIAL and PIAA boys basketball championship games. However, with the core of the team having graduated, the Panthers have leaned on young players, and there have been some expected growing pains. Coming into last week, Franklin Regional was a playoff bubble team at 3-7 in Section 1-5A and 7-10 overall. However, a huge week for senior guard Connor Crossey has given the blue and gold a much needed boost as they control their own postseason destiny headed into the final week of the regular season. In a nonsection home game against a neighboring Plum team that is also on the 5A playoff bubble, Crossey scored 25 points as Franklin Regional got back on the winning track, 65-54. The next night, the Panthers made a long trip to Laurel Highlands and defeated the Mustangs, 49-44, behind a 27-point performance by Crossey. Second-place Latrobe came to Murrysville on Friday and Crossey had a career night, setting a new single-game high for himself by pumping in 38 points as the Panthers clawed their way past the Wildcats in overtime, 73-71.
Background: Crossey played an important part in the Panthers’ success a year ago when they finished as district and state runners-up with a 27-4 record. However, he knew with the loss to graduation of several teammates, he would have to adjust to a new role this winter. He has become a team leader and has worked hard on increasing his scoring touch. Even as a young player, he said he was never a big-time scorer, but this season, he has answered the bell and is averaging over 21 points per game with nearly 400 points scored for the season. He plans to make his college choice once this Panthers season concludes. He has a twin brother, Noah, and two older brothers who had success playing high school hockey at Franklin Regional.
What coach says: “I would say it was probably the efficiency of his scoring that stood out the most, Franklin Regional coach Jesse Reed said about Crossey’s game against Plum. “He scored 25 on 15 shots and didn’t really force anything. He just played within the flow of the game. Shot 67% from two and 44% from three.”
“He didn’t let the long bus ride faze him one bit,” Reed said of Crossey’s performance at Laurel Highlands. “He was in attack mode the entire game. Constantly putting pressure on the defense and getting to the rim. He didn’t settle for jump shots on the perimeter. I think he went 13 of 14 from the free throw line.”
“It was monumental,” Reed said about the game Crossey had against Latrobe. “Friday was such an important one for us. We are still trying to fight for that last playoff spot in our section, so every win down the stretch is huge. Not to mention all of the emotions from it being our senior night. Connor stepped up in arguably our biggest game of the season thus far and had a career night. That game capped off such a great week for our team.”
“He has done a great job taking on that responsibility,” Reed said of the role changes this season for Crossey. “He has matured so much as a player and a person from last year to this year. Last year he adjusted to the role we needed him to fill for our team to be successful. He sacrificed individual stats and was so unselfish. With this year’s team, we needed him to fill a much more prominent role and he has run with it in stride.”
“His ability to create and score off the bounce has really improved,” Reed said. “The process that started in the summer, and all of that hard work is coming to light now during the season. He has always shot the ball at a high level, but adding that element to his game to be able to go off the bounce and get to the rim and free-throw line has really helped his game as well as our offense as a whole.”
2025 Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Players of the Week
Week 4 – Colton Straight, Montour
Week 3 – Zach Pollaro, North Hills
Week 2 – Cameron Epps, South Allegheny
Week 1 – Brady Mayo, Beaver
Tags: Franklin Regional
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