After dropping eight 3-pointers and 35 points on North Carolina A&T over the weekend, Northwestern freshman Drew Crawford (Naperville Central) was recognized as the Big Ten player of the week on Monday.

After weighing all his options, Naperville Central senior Nick Linne has committed to play baseball at Northwestern.

The three-sport athlete will focus on baseball instead of actively searching for more football opportunities. The Redhawks quarterback threw for 1,711 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior, later drawing an offer from Illinois State.

Linne, a versatile infielder/outfielder, said that Central baseball coach Bill Seiple and his Illinois Sparks travel team coaches did too much selling to Northwestern on his behalf to reconsider the decision.

"It's just a verbal right now, but I'm not gonna change my mind. It's not gonna happen," Linne said Thursday after football practice. "I'm really excited to get up there next year."

Joe Henricksen of City/Suburban Hoops Report has a recruiting update on 6-foot-5-inch Neuqua Valley forward Dwayne Evans, who -- if everything breaks right -- could eventually join his friend Drew Crawford (Naperville Central) at Northwestern. Henricksen writes:

After a strong finish in the high school season and a solid start in the spring AAU season, Evans did not play his best basketball during the July evaluation period. Although he has been a highly productive player who finds ways to get things done, he still has the dreaded 'tweener label attached to him.

Hoops Report Analysis: While Northwestern is still heavily involved and the biggest player in the Evans recruiting, the mid-major level would be ideal for Evans. If Evans to Northwestern doesn't get done, keep an eye on these schools as we inch closer to November and the signing period: Loyola, Drake, Toledo, Western Michigan and Fairfield.

For some time now, Joe Henricksen has given Drew Crawford the benefit of the doubt. In a final installment for the City/Suburban Hoops Report, Henricksen ranks the state's top college prospects in the class of 2009, slotting the Naperville Central senior third.

Northwestern coach Bill Carmody has said that he thinks Evanston will be a good place for a guard to be over the next few years - the Wildcats have already recruited the interior players. Assistant Tavaras Hardy, who was instrumental in signing Crawford, told us: "We want to recruit kids that have a chance to make an immediate impact."

The departure of senior guard Craig Moore will open up a spot in the starting five next season, and Henricksen wasn't subtle in his prediction:

3. Drew Crawford, 6-5, 2G, Naperville (Central) ... There weren't enough people who were able to see just how good Crawford was during his high school career. Look for Crawford to start from day one at Northwestern and truly blossom in college.

Here's one way to stretch your entertainment dollar in the middle of a recession. Even if you're priced out of big-league games, U.S. Cellular Field will open its doors on April 15 for Notre Dame and Northwestern.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at whitesox.com or the stadium's box office. Proceeds from the game will benefit Chicago White Sox Charities. The club hosted a similar event last year when Notre Dame took on Northern Illinois to support a scholarship fund at the DeKalb university.

There will still be several local connections. Scott Lawler, a Naperville Central graduate, is the Fighting Irish associate head coach. Sophomore Mick Doyle, the infielder out of Benet, has started 17 games this season for Notre Dame and is hitting .271.

Geoff Rowan, less than a year removed from his senior season at Neuqua Valley, is trying to find his role at Northwestern. Rowan has made three appearances out of the bullpen and seen time at catcher, his listed position on the team's roster.

Warren senior guard Brandon Paul edged out fellow Illinois recruit Jereme Richmond of Waukegan to win the 2009 Mr. Basketball of Illinois award.

Naperville Central senior swingman Drew Crawford received 20 first-place votes in ballots submitted by the state's coaches and media members. The Northwestern signee finished third in the voting with 137 points, behind Paul (337) and Richmond (321).

How would you have voted?

Naperville Central senior swingman and Northwestern signee Drew Crawford is scheduled to be part of the Chicago High School Classic, an all-star game that will take place Friday night at Niles North.

Marshall's Darius Smith - Crawford's AAU teammate who just verbally committed to Connecticut - is also expected at the event. Other players to watch that night include Illinois recruits Joe Bertrand (Sterling) and Brandon Paul (Warren).

Danny Crawford's first NBA season was 1985-86, and he will turn 56 in November. Retirement is an open question, and the referee takes it a year at a time now, working about 75 games per season plus the playoffs. That's the standard union contract.

With his son Drew about to leave Naperville Central to play at Northwestern, Danny is trying to make arrangements that will fill his schedule and strike a balance.

"I'm hoping that the NBA's gonna work with me," Danny said. "I know I'm asking a lot but (looking) at the Big Ten schedule, if Northwestern's playing Michigan or Michigan State, give me a game in Detroit."

There's probably a good compromise somewhere in that plan, but Drew's uncle Gene, a Big Ten official, won't have that flexibility. Gene was told he can't work any Northwestern games until Drew leaves Evanston.

Across the past two seasons, that's been a favorite throwaway line from Naperville Central coach Pete Kramer (as in his team is much more than that). But it seems like people are finally catching on to Drew Crawford, who was named to the Chicago Sun-Times all-area team. This week Comcast SportsNet also ran a feature on Crawford and his father Danny, the veteran NBA official. It'll be interesting to see how this story grows if Central can keep advancing in the Class 4A tournament.

Drew Crawford has created a new standard at Naperville Central.

The Northwestern-bound swingman broke Tim Szatko's all-time school scoring record during Wednesday night's 59-49 win over Wheaton North in Naperville.

Crawford came into the team's senior night needing 15 points to set the mark, and he passed it with a twisting layup along the baseline at the 7:43 mark of the third quarter. Crawford finished with 28 to lead the 24-2 Redhawks, who completed a perfect 14-0 run through the DuPage Valley Conference.

Crawford now has 1,480 career points heading into next week's Oswego East Sectional.

The baseline for Dwayne Evans is set with mid-major programs from the Mid-American Conference and Horizon League. But Northwestern has also looked at the Neuqua Valley forward, and his stock only figures to rise over the next several months. In this Sun-Times News Group piece, Scott Powers breaks down Evans' well-rounded game.

Recruiting projections are still just guesswork, as quarterback Dan LeFevour has shown at Central Michigan. As part of an interesting series, the Sun-Times shines the spotlight on Benet, with an essay from LeFevour and all sorts of trivia about the Redwings.