RICHMOND, Ky. – Juan Cranford Jr., the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year and NEC Tournament MVP, will transfer to play at Eastern Kentucky University.
 
Cranford is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound guard from Dayton, Ohio.  He averaged 15 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals and shot 46% from the field over three games while leading Saint Francis University to the NEC Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
 
"We're so excited about Juan joining our program," said EKU Head Coach A.W. Hamilton.  "He's extremely efficient and can make shots from anywhere on the floor.  His fearless mentality fits our style of play perfectly."
 
In 33 games for the Red Flash as a freshman in 2024-25, Cranford averaged 10.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game.  He made 45% of his shots from the field, connected on 39% from behind the 3-point arc and knocked down 90% of his free throw attempts. 
 
Cranford finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists in Saint Francis' opening round NCAA Tournament game against Alabama State.  He made 6-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range.
 
The 2025 NEC All-Rookie Team selection was chosen as the NEC Rookie of the Week four times.  He is just the fourth player in Saint Francis program history to garner NEC Rookie of the Year honors.
 
Cranford scored a season-high 21 points on Dec. 19 at Maryland.  He had a season-best 10 rebounds at Chicago State on Feb. 8, finishing with a double-double.  Cranford scored in double figures 19 times, and had at least five rebounds in a game 12 times.
 
Before beginning his collegiate career at Saint Francis, Cranford scored over 1,000 points at Wayne High School in Dayton.  He was a 3-time all-conference performer and the Greater Western Ohio Conference Player of the Year as a senior in 2023-24.
 
EKU won the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship in 2024 and competed for a second straight league title up until the final weeks of the season.  The Colonels are the only ASUN team to win six or more conference games in each of the past two seasons.  The team's 8-game ASUN winning streak this past season was the longest conference winning streak for the program since winning 12 straight across the 1964-65 and 1965-66 seasons.  Since Hamilton became the head coach, EKU has broken 103 program records.