Audi Crooks could have gone almost anywhere. As the No. 1 player in the transfer portal this offseason, the Iowa State star had big programs chasing her, and the whole sport waited to see where she would land. She chose Oklahoma State, which left many wondering what made her walk away from the school where she became a star.
When she was asked what drew her to the Cowgirls and coach Jacie Hoyt, her answer was fun and raw.
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"I would say what kind of drew me into this team is that the fact that over the last three years we lost to them multiple times," Crooks told CBS's Sydney Parrish on Instagram
. "And she was able to scout really well. I think she limited me, uh, the best out of all the other Big 12 teams. So if you can't beat them, join them, and I kind of wanted to know her tactics. I knew that she knew me like the back of her hand. Since she knows my weaknesses, why not go there and improve on them?" she added.
Oklahoma State beat Iowa State twice last season, both times by double figures, so Crooks had seen Hoyt's teams up close. Crooks told USA TODAY Sports she wanted teammates who could contribute significantly and a coach who would keep pushing her, and that she believed in Hoyt's vision after losing to her teams for three years.
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Her goals of improving her defense, conditioning and pace also lined up with Hoyt's need for a go-to scorer in the half-court.
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Leaving Iowa State was still a big move. The Algona, Iowa, native spent three seasons there and finished second in school history with 2,256 career points. Last year she averaged 25.8 points per game on 64.9% shooting and earned second-team All-American honors.
When she declared on the eve of the Final Four that she was transferring, she instantly became the best player available. Seventeen days later, she committed to Oklahoma State, and both ESPN and CBS ranked her the top player in the portal.
The Cowgirls had lost nine players to the portal, with Stailee Heard the only one to announce a return. Hoyt rebuilt quickly, and Crooks headlined the class. Hoyt had also admired her for years, offering her a scholarship when she coached at UMKC. Oklahoma State was later picked No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason poll.
Her debut showed why she wanted to be there. Oklahoma State started slowly, missing its first three shots, but Crooks scored the Cowgirls' final seven points of the first quarter to build a 25-13 lead. She passed 10 points with 3:33 left in the second quarter, extending her streak to 99 straight games in double figures, and the Cowgirls led 46-23 at the break.
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Crooks finished with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds in an 81-39 win over Southern, making nine of 10 shots and four of five free throws. She said it felt good to finally face opponents other than her own scout team.
She had help. Nene Ndiaye scored 16 points, and Heard added 12. The defense did the rest, holding Southern to four points in the third quarter and 12 in the fourth while the Jaguars shot 25.4% from the field. Hoyt said the offense still needs time to come together, but the win was a strong start.
Crooks left Iowa State to learn from the coach who knew her weaknesses best, and one game in, that gamble is already paying off.
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The post "If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them": No.1 Transfer Portal Star Audi Crooks Opens Up On What Compelled Her To Leave Iowa State
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