“It was just a family feel”: Aaliyah Crump reflects on choosing Texas over Duke, Ohio State and Baylor

Five-star prospect Aaliyah Crump committed to the Texas Longhorns over other top programs in women's basketball. Crump ended her high school basketball career ranked as the No. 5 recruit from the Class of 2025, according to the espnw top 100 list.

In an interview shared on Texas's Instagram page on Wednesday, Crump described how the Longhorns gave her a "family feel." This ultimately influenced her commitment to them over other programs like Duke, Ohio State and Baylor.

"It was a family feel and I could just grasp that when I took my visit here. And you could just really tell that they cared about their players, not just on the court but also off the court," she said.

Crump was one of the standout players for Minnetonka High School. She produced her best plays in her junior year, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.3 assists per game, leading her team to the 2024 4A State Championship.

In addition, Crump was named to the All-State selection twice and was selected the 2024 MaxPreps Minnesota Player of the Year. A team captain, the 6-foot-1 guard was also named to the 25-player Midseason Team for the 2024-25 Naismith Trophy Girls' High School Player of the Year award.

Texas HC reacts to Aaliyah Crump joining the team next season

Small forward Aaliyah Crump joined Texas women's basketball as one of the most coveted players from the Class of 2025. Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer expressed his excitement at the Minnesota native joining the team next season, calling her a total package for the program.

"Aaliyah comes from an incredible family," Schaefer said via the program's official website. "She is highly motivated and her skill set is off the charts. Her court vision is elite and rare.

"Aaliyah plays very unselfish basketball, yet at the same time she is a high-level scorer. She can stretch the floor well beyond the 3-point line and can elevate over a defender to create her own shot whenever she wants to. She is a great teammate, loves the game, and is extremely talented.

"These qualities separate her and will allow her to be a great collegiate basketball player as well as a pro one day. ... In other words, Aaliyah Crump is the total package and our women's basketball program here at The University of Texas just got a whole lot better."

Aaliyah Crump is the daughter of Ashley Wolf and Michael Crump, who were former college athletes at Central Methodist University. She is expected to be a big boost for the Longhorns, who struggled offensively last season.