There's something about Audi: Iowa State's Audi Crooks establishing herself as one of the Big 12's best
It hasn't taken long for Iowa high school legend Audi Crooks to establish herself as a force in college basketball.
Crooks, an Iowa State freshman who went to Bishop Garrigan in Algona, scored eight points in her first game with the Cyclones — a win against Butler — and has double-digit point totals in every game since.
She averages 18 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and shoots nearly 57% from the field, all of which rank among the top 10 in the Big 12 Conference.
After coming off the bench her first four games, she's started the last 20 for the 14-10 Cyclones, who are 8-6 in conference play. She admits her early success has come as a bit of a surprise.
"I thought maybe this would be a learning year. You know, maybe I only play a few minutes and just really like develop my skills, kind of focus on that. But, there was a certain point where I thought, 'Hey, maybe I can really get after it, really do this,'" Crooks tells vlog.
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Crooks' success rooted in hard work, driveway matchups with mom
Cyclones head coach Bill Fennelly is impressed with how quickly his star freshman has adapted to the more physical college game.
"They are very physical with her ... there is probably one or two times a game she'll look at the bench ... like 'I got hit.' But, I would say for a young kid to be able to do that is pretty impressive," Fennelly said.
While there are several factors that have led to Crooks' success, a familiar theme seems to be how hard she's always worked to achieve it.
She took some lumps playing against her mom on the hoop in the driveway of their Algona home — and delivered a few.
"She's a competitor, that's where I get my competitive edge from. So, she's throwing elbows at me. I mean, she's not taking it easy," Crooks says about her mom, Michelle Cook, Garrigan's all-time leading scorer before the next generation broke the record.
And she grew from a raw project to one of Iowa's all-time greats in high school while playing for Golden Bears head coach Brandon Schwab.
"I remember her first seventh-grade game. I think she shot it over the backboard when I was watching her," Schwab said. "So the amount of time she put in to become the player she is today is just a tribute to her hard work and dedication to the sport."
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Crooks plays to honor family's jersey number, basketball legacy
Crooks has always been willing to put in the work. But she says she's also playing for more than herself. The 55 she wears on her jersey is more than a number. It's a family tradition.
"My dad was number 55 and my mom was number 55. ... Growing up, as I started to emerge in middle school and high school, they ask, 'What number do you want?' It was an easy answer for me. Fifty-five," Crooks said.
You can often find Michelle Cook in the stands cheering on the latest No. 55.
"I love going to all the games," she said.
But Crooks' dad, Jimmie Crooks, died in 2021. It's his memory that the ISU freshman says she carries with her whenever she steps on the hardwood.
"I hope — I know he's proud of me. And I know, you know, he's watching from up above," she said. "And it just means the world. I'm honored to have the same last name as that man. I mean, he gave me the foundation not only as a basketball player, but becoming the woman that I am today. I wouldn't be that person if it wasn't for him."