The Princeton Offense is a very unique style of basketball. Besides all of the complex specifics of the X’s and O’s, the concepts are unusual too. So often the success and worth of individuals is based upon their statistics. But within the Princeton Offense, individual stats are almost irrelevant, and they are worthless when trying to assess a player’s ability and value. No player exemplifies that concept better than Tyler Crawford.

If you look only at his stats, you would think that Tyler is a bench player who only comes in when the result has already been decided. Yet, the exact opposite is true. The closer a game is or the more an outcome is in doubt, the more likely Tyler is to come in off the bench. You’d be hard pressed to find a more valuable player anywhere in the country, at any level, who averages only seven minutes a game.

But Tyler always makes his minutes count. In the overtime win over Syracuse, he played three minutes and scored three points. This past weekend in the overtime win against Marquette, he played six minutes and made his only shot during the Hoyas’ comeback. On the road against Providence, he made the most important on-court contributions of his career. Tyler played 15 minutes, all in the second half. He scored 5 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished out 1 assist. The raw numbers are not staggering, but the attitude and presence do so much more for the success of his team than what you can read on a stat sheet.

Some programs give all their seniors a spot in the starting lineup on Senior Day. Georgetown has never partaken in this tradition, because even though it can be seen as a nice gesture, it in some ways sends the wrong message. Tyler Crawford is a key member of this team, but he’s not a starter. His worth is not measured in minutes or games started; it’s measured by his contributions on the court. When Crawford is called upon, he makes an impact for the good of his team.

Tyler Crawford’s career has been an excellent one. Individually, he has shown a great deal of character and perseverance; in terms of team success, he has been a part of a very elite group at Georgetown. Tyler has more Big East Championships than Othella Harrington, Allen Iverson, Mike Sweetney, or Kevin Braswell. He has more Final Four appearances than Alonzo Mourning or Mark Tillmon. When the curtain finally comes down on Tyler’s career at Georgetown, he won’t be remembered for his points, his rebounds, or his assists. But he will be remembered.