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The NCAA tournament, whether men’s or women’s, has a habit of creating stars overnight, and a single game or moment turns a hitherto little-known user into an intense and passionate figure of national interest.
Iowa State’s women’s basketball program has one of those players on its hands, Audi Crooks. She was the Cyclones’ most productive and productive player for much of the 2023-24 season, but despite her fame, she skyrocketed on the first full day of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
REQUIRED READING: ‘She’s one of a kind’: Audi Crooks’ historic night leads Iowa State women to NCAA victory
Crooks was unstoppable in a first-round game Friday against 10th-seeded Maryland, setting up the kind of stat line rarely noticed at any point in organized basketball: The Iowa State center finished with a career-high 40 points and shot an astonishing 18-for-20. shots to help his team rally from a 20-point deficit to beat the Terrapins 93-85 and advance to the second round of the tournament. There, the Cyclones will face the No. 1 seed and host Stanford on Sunday.
With just one performance, Crooks has become the star of the first day of the tournament, setting social media ablaze and earning praise from each and every corner of the country and likely from any and all vital voices in the game (and even Des Moines). police).
This tweet is a thank you tweet from Audi Crooks!!️ Natural mastery of this game
– Aliyah A. Boston (@aa_boston) March 23, 2024
Congratulations to @CycloneWBB and tonight’s record @AudiCrooks!@MarchMadnessWBB #Cyclones #NCAAWBB #MarchMadness pic. twitter. com/H6ck2haNIR
– Des Moines Police Department (@DMPolice) March 23, 2024
While those in Ames and other parts of Iowa are familiar with Crooks and her game, enthusiasts across the country are learning more about her as she continues to prove that Caitlin Clark is the only women’s basketball star in the state.
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Before Crooks showed up across much of the country on Friday, she was a revelation to her team in the months leading up to that fateful day.
In his first college season, Crooks led all Iowa State players in scoring, averaging 19. 5 points per game, and finished second in rebounds, with 7. 8 per game. Heading into Sunday’s game against Stanford, he’s shooting 59. 9 percent from the box. and 65. 5% from the free-throw line. Her good luck index in the area ranks her 14th among Division I players.
The Crooks’ departure was historic in Maryland. His 40 goals were just shy of Iowa State’s record of 42 goals in a single game, set by Tonya Burns in 1984. His 18 goals from the box were a program record in a single game.
According to OptaSTATS, he joined Bill Walton as the player in NCAA tournament history to score 40 numbers on at least 90% shooting. Walton did it in 1973 for his UCLA team in the national championship game. The 40 numbers fit Brittney Griner’s record for most trouble through a Big 12 player in an NCAA tournament game.
Here are some highlights from the Crooks’ Maryland win:
Crooks is indexed on the Iowa state list at 6 feet 3 inches. She is the Cyclones’ second-tallest player, junior Isnelle Natabou, who is 6-foot-5.
Crooks is 19 years old. She is a freshman of the Cyclones, which leaves her with up to 3 years of school eligibility.
REQUIRED READING: Iowa State Women’s Basketball Tickets for NCAA Tournament 2024: Price, How to Buy
After his 40-point outburst against Maryland, Crooks drew the attention and help of a giant audience at his postgame press conference.
When asked about a moment before the game when she was left alone, closed her eyes and tugged at her shirt, a tearful Crooks explained that she took time before each game to pray and seek the recommendation of her late father, Jimmie, a former academic. . basketball player who passed away in 2021 at the age of 55, when Audi was 16.
“I’m just looking to take a second, sit back, tap into my spiritual side and know that everything is going to be OK,” Crooks said. “He was given the most productive seat in the house. “
Audi Crooks, from Iowa, gets emotional when she talks about her father’s death when she was 16 and how she prays before every game: pic. twitter. com/P66fvcasHe
— Talia Goodman (@goodmansport) March 23, 2024
Crooks was ranked 57th nationally in the 2023 Scouting Class via ESPN.
Crooks, originally from Algona, Iowa, is a standout multi-sport athlete at Bishop Garrigan High School.
In basketball, Crooks was a two-time Iowa Class 1A state champion and won titles in 2022 and 2023. In the last of those two championship games, he scored 49 points, setting a record in a state tournament of all classes.
In addition to basketball, she competed in volleyball and track and field. She was a two-time Class 1A state champion in shot put.
This article originally published on the Des Moines Register: Who is Audi Crooks?Iowa State freshman basketball star’s stats, age and height