21 May 2014 Criswell to play basketball at Hendrix
by Levi Gilbert
Conway’s Sean Criswell is pursuing his dream at the next level, and his family and friends will get to experience it, too. Criswell is staying in Conway as he recently signed a letter of intent to continue his basketball career at Hendrix College.
The decision to become a Warrior was about three months in the making.
“The campus was just very beautiful and quaint,” Criswell said. “Not to mention the academics were heard to be extremely prestigious, and I think that was most important. However, the quality of the athletic facilities were amazing, and that helped my decision, too.”
An even bigger bonus for Criswell is that the signing signifies the next step in his basketball dream.
“I get to live my dream of playing college basketball,” he said. “I always wanted to play professional basketball, but Division 3 basketball is notorious for not producing many professional players, but to me that means that I just have to change my plan rather than my goal. To me, it means I will try my hardest to be a professional player somehow, some way.”
Criswell’s family will get to watch the former Wampus Cat’s dream progress right here in their hometown.
“I still have family and friends supporting me only I’m wearing different colors,” Criswell said.
Criswell is a member of the 501 Basketball Team for 2014. His high school coach, Conway’s James Bates, nominated him for his character on and off the court — qualities which could translate well to the next level.
“Sean is the team’s strongest player pound for pound,” Bates said in his nomination in November 2013. “He is an extremely hard worker . . . I know that I am going to get every ounce of energy at all times from Sean, and as a coach you cannot expect anything more than that. Sean is the kind of player that a coach likes in that he competes at a high energy level.”
Off the court, Criswell is an ardent musician, playing guitar and viola. He plans to pursue the performing arts at Hendrix.
“I plan to double major in chemistry and performing arts,” Criswell said. “I always had a curiosity of science, and I grew a great interest in acting and have been told that I should try to make a career out of it, so might as well try to make it a back-up plan to my basketball dream.”
