Craftsman Riding Lawnmower Won't Start?

I have a Craftsman rider. It has sat in the shed for the winter. I pulled it out, put gas in, charged the battery, and tried to start it. It did not even crank. I opened the motor lid, turned the motor by hand, turned the key in the on position and it cranked, but did not start. I did this several times. Then I cleaned the spark plug; still the same. Can anyone help?