An Ode to Iowa State's Audi Crooks

Since the 2009-10 season, when Her Hoop Stats first started tracking college basketball data, just 3 freshmen have averaged 18 points per game or more in Big 12 conference play. Extend that back to the past 20 years, and one more name gets added to the search.

Courtney Paris in 2006.

Brittney Griner in 2010.

Madison Booker and Audi Crooks in 2024.

This freshman class has long been lauded, and understandably; they are going to and already have changed the game. Not just at the college level, but as a whole.

Now, to pull back the layers and look at some of the historical comparisons, it’s jarring. You can watch Booker and Crooks in the moment and say “yeah they’re playing at such a high level” but to then go and recognize that they’re doing things that haven’t been done outside BG and Courtney Paris, two of the most dominant college players this side of the century, yeah that adds a different level of appreciation.

I first caught Iowa State this year against Vanderbilt, and then against Syracuse, two great tests early in retrospect. My expectations weren’t that high, I just wanted to see how this new look team might perform without Emily Ryan, as she was still recovering from injury. Those games put them on my radar, intrigued highly by that 5-player freshman class. The game against Iowa, even though a loss, put me on notice and had me adding a plethora of Cyclone games to my watch calendar for the rest of the year.

Addy Brown has a future pro game, so steady with phenomenal court vision at her size. Arianna Jackson impressed with her ball pressure, shooting, and ability to play in the flow of an offense on and off the ball. Kelsey Joens just does a little bit of everything and has the potential as an ultimate glue player and budding scorer. Jalynn Bristow, and I don’t say this lightly, has one of the ceilings I’m most excited about in the Big 12, a supreme utility forward who can stretch the floor, attack the basket, and guard across the board.

Audi Crooks is a freaking star, man. For whatever reason, I feel that’s gone under the radar. She’s not just good, or someone who’s scoring a lot because she’s getting to soak up a ton of offense on a young team: She’s a star!!!

First and foremost, she’s wildly efficient. Per Her Hoop Stats, only 14 players in Division 1 power conferences took 10 or more field goal attempts per game while scoring at a 60% true-shooting percentage or higher. True-shooting accounts for three-pointers and free throws to project efficiency in a way that’s more measurable across positions.

To name a few of the other centers and forwards on that list:

• Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
• Alissa Pili, Utah
• Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
• Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
• Cameron Brink, Stanford
• Raegan Beers, Oregon State

Condense that down to 13 field goals attempts or more with the same efficiency, and Crooks is one of 6. Not bad.

Efficiency is vital in making easy offense the norm, a consistent mode of scoring and creation that coaching staffs can rely on and build around. So much of being a star is about that consistent ability to impact a defense, and Audi Crooks embodies that.

Per InStat Scouting, 71% of her offensive opportunities came via post-up this season. 

So often when people see a player with real size scoring, it gets reduced down to “they’re tall, of course they’re efficient,” and I get it to a degree. Being tall is a huge pull in being able to score more effectively at the basket and round the rim. But, that doesn’t come close to capturing the full image of Audi’s scoring gravity.

Her touch is wild. By touch, I mean how deftly she can put the ball in the basket. She uses angles in a truly mesmerizing way that few can, capable of banking with ease, adjusting to contact and launching high lofting lobs into the rim. She’s shot roughly 43% on jumpers this season, taking a little over two per game, both off pick and pops, in trail, and on her post fader (one of the prettiest shots by an individual in the game right now).

Audi’s balance is supreme. Her footwork is phenomenal, and so key that it’s in sync with her handle. Audi doesn’t dribble a lot, but when she does, it’s with purpose. Everything she does is with efficiency of movement, and that’s huge in being efficient as a whole. Her one dribble moves off the catch or pivot are cash, using the gather to collect herself and get off the best possible looks. 

The way she seals is special. She doesn’t just get to the block and stand there. She’s constantly jostling, fighting, budging for every inch of space, bobbing back and forth as she wades closer to the rim. You are working to guard Audi Crooks for a full possession, not just the moment of action.

Watching her read the court out of the post is so impressive as well, as she sees and understands help and where it’s coming from at a remarkably high level. She’s even shown some real passing pop, something I’m excited to see continue to grow throughout her time in Ames, as that will only make her game hit that much harder.

You can read or understand that she posts up a lot, but the way she does it is so key in making her effective. She’s phenomenal at timing and knowing when to duck in, picking the best spots to make herself available as a post-up option. Iowa State rarely just says “hey, go post-up”, there’s real intentionality in their offense to hit with actions.

They love using guard cross screens to get Audi ideal position on the block. In turn, it’s harder to double off a guard screen, because you don’t want to let a capable shooter fly up the middle to the top of the key and get off an open look. 

Audi and Addy Brown also have tremendous synergy together, as there are numerous sets with the pair working in tandem, one rolling off a screen, the other coming up to the wing and opening up a better entry angle. This team is so good with using different post entry angles.

Even just in regular two player game as things die down in the halfcourt, they’re adept at finding one another, seeking out who has a mismatch. Most importantly, they have an advanced understanding in post and re-post; passing the ball out, re-establishing position, and receiving the ball back. I find it pretty rare to see freshmen with that great an ability to play in the nuance of the game, and it’s amazing that they have it as a duo.

Crooks plays with so much joy and confidence. It seeps through the screen in watching, and it’s hard not to smile watching someone be so excellent at what they do and having a blast doing it.

She already has shown and proved her stardom throughout the year, and the potential and ability to grow is palpable. I can’t wait for the NCAA Tournament, as Iowa State has the chance to put together a memorable run, the first postseason foray for a very young, but very talented group that’s ushering in the next era of Iowa State basketball.