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Why Iowa State star Audi Crooks is seemingly impossible to stop
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- Why Iowa State star Audi Crooks is seemingly impossible to stop
Women's college basketball has a bevy of prolific scorers including Vanderbilt Commodores guard Mikayla Blakes (25.7 points a game), Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo (25.9 points a game) and Florida Gators guard Liv McGill (27.3 points a game).
But who is the leading the nation? That would be Iowa State center Audi Crooks, who at 6-foot-3, averages 27.6 points a contest. She is proving hard to stop in her junior season for the No. 10 Cyclones (10-0), who face No. 12 Iowa (9-0) Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
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The Algona, Iowa, native isn't new to being a scoring threat. It's how she introduced herself to the country. During the 2024 NCAA tournament, Iowa State gained national attention when the then-freshman posted 40 points against No. 10 Maryland in the first round.
Crooks, who ranks second in the country field goal percentage (73.2), has already eclipsed the 40-point mark twice this season, has eight games of 20 or more points and recently scored 30 points in 19 minutes against the Northern Illinois Huskies.
"It's not something I've seen, really, maybe ever," Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said of Crooks.
Being in rare company is something Crooks has made a habit of. She currently holds the longest Division I active streak (77 consecutive games) for scoring at least 10 points or more and is on pace to join Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (2023-2024) as just the second player in Division I men's or women's college basketball, the NBA or WNBA to average at least one point or more per minute in a single season.
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With production like that, the question becomes how to slow Crooks down. She's efficient in her minutes and confident with her shot selection, rarely wasting movement. Crooks also has impeccable footwork that has improved each season she's been with Iowa State, helping her to develop patience in the paint, while getting to her spots. Furthermore, her release, especially on her mid-range jump shot, is one of the smoothest in college basketball.
"They're trying to do anything they can," Fennelly said about Crooks. "And I told her, that's what's coming. You're going to get triple-teamed. People are going to fall down and act like you fouled them. You're going to have to play through contact because you're not going to get a call."
When Crooks takes the floor against Iowa on Wednesday, she'll face her toughest test yet. The Hawkeyes have multiple players who can score and defend, including standout sophomore guard Ava Heiden, who currently leads the team in points (16.1) and rebounds (9.2). Adding fuel to the fire, Iowa State hasn't beaten Iowa since December 2021. Still, Crooks' teammates have confidence that they'll get a long-awaited win against the Hawkeyes and their star center will do what she does best ― just hoop."You throw the ball to her, and it's going in," Iowa State guard Reagan Wilson said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How do teams stop Iowa State star Audi Crooks? It's nearly impossible
