Blessing in disguise, Cracknell's unexpected season turned into a new opportunity

By Carlos Rodriguez | Co-editor in chief

The 2020-21 campaign was supposed to be a special season for Augusta University men’s basketball player Troy Cracknell. He had just capped off his junior season, where he put up career-high numbers and was set to play his last season for the Jaguars, only to be derailed by COVID-19.

The pandemic rolled around at the end of Cracknell’s junior season, ending the Jaguars postseason run before it even started. Augusta was set to play Peach Belt rival Lander University in the first round of the NCAA DII Men’s Basketball Tournament.

“We were on the bus going to Tennessee and when we got there, we heard the news that we weren’t going to play,” said Cracknell. “It really sucked because I thought we could’ve gone far in the tournament.”

The Jags returned to campus and what seemed to be only a two-week break from school, turned into students being sent home the rest of the semester.

Cracknell returned home to Charlotte, N.C., and like everywhere else, everything was shut down. No gyms were open until later in the summer, forcing him to adapt to the resources he had available.

“We had a sandpit by where I live at, so I was working out in the sand, running constantly and had a couple of weights at my house,” said Cracknell. “I didn’t have a job over the summer, so it was straight training.”

During the first week returning to campus for the Fall 2020 semester Cracknell encountered another roadblock. While playing pickup basketball he landed awkwardly and broke his foot, sidelining him for multiple weeks and eventually missing the season-opener. 

"I was kind of down on myself; I was putting a lot of work in during the summer” said Cracknell. “I had to get surgery the week after. It was a bad start to the year.”

After missing one game, Cracknell was back in the lineup for the first time since pre-COVID. On limited minutes he scored 12 points, helping AU get a 97-83 win over Emmanuel College.

“It was a little awkward; I had to get use to things again. I was just glad to be out there and move around again how I used to,” he said.

Little did he know it would be the last time he suited up for the Jaguars that season. 

Augusta received unfortunate news that numerous players had tested positive for COVID-19. What thought to be a normal quarantine period, then back to the court, turned out to be a longer hiatus.

Cracknell along with other players were sidelined for the remainder of the season due to their heart condition following testing positive, leaving the Jags with only eight healthy players.

Instead of dwelling on what had happened, Cracknell stayed motivated and played a different role for the team, helping coach the guys from the sideline. 

“I was just making sure the rest of the people around me got better. Our plan was to get those new guys better and more comfortable for the next year.”

With a limited bench, AU struggled and failed to qualify for the Peach Belt Conference Tournament for the first time in school history. 

“It was tough; it was something I wasn’t used to in being able to just sit there and watch,” said Cracknell. “It’s pretty frustrating not being able to go out there and make a difference for the team and help us win.”

With getting an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, Cracknell is using it to his advantage, getting a fifth season while also pursuing his master’s degree in business administration. 

“I couldn’t say no to getting a fifth year to play basketball and pursue my master’s,” he said. “I’m really blessed to be able to come back.”

AU basketball color commentator Chad Cook has watched Cracknell play throughout his career at Augusta and believes adding him back into the lineup will create opportunities for the Jags.

“The ability to play him alongside Tyshaun Crawford and three guards will bring an element to the team that we just didn’t have last season when the squad was so hampered by COVID,” said Cook.

As for goals for the upcoming season, Cracknell is looking to step up as a leader and help the team win the PBC Championship and make a deep postseason run. 

“I think we have potential to go really far this year, possibly further than we did my sophomore year,” said Cracknell.

An individual goal Cracknell has is to put himself in position to be able to go overseas and play professionally next fall. He’s closely followed two of his former AU teammates Deane Williams and Rafael Monteiro who have excelled at the professional level.

“I saw Deane played in Iceland for two years and now he just signed a big deal in France,” said Cracknell. “Deane’s a great player and a great guy. I’ve seen Hafa (Rafael) doing great over in Brazil too.”

The Jaguars are currently doing preseason workouts as they gear up for official practice to start in October.

Contact Carlos Rodriguez at carrodriguez@augusta.edu.

Troy Cracknell shoots a three inside Christenberry Fieldhouse during the 2019-20 season.

At the top of the page, Troy Cracknell goes through player intros. (Photos taken by Carlos Rodriguez)