Audi Crooks

Audi Crooks is an American college basketball player for the Iowa State Cyclones of the Big 12 Conference. She plays the center position.

Audi Crooks
No. 55 – Iowa State Cyclones
PositionCenter
Personal information
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Career information
High schoolBishop Garrigan
(Algona, Iowa)
CollegeIowa State (2023–present)
Career highlights and awards

High school career

Crooks attended Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona, Iowa, where she starred on the school's basketball team. She also competed on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit for CY Select Wolves.[1][2] Aside from basketball, Crooks competed in track and field, winning the Class 1A state titles in both the shot put and the discus throw as a sophomore after her freshman season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] She won another state title in the shot put as a junior, breaking the Class 1A record with a throw of 45 ft 1 in.[4][5] As a senior, Crooks became the first athlete in Class 1A history to win three consecutive state titles in the shot put.[6] She also played volleyball, earning first-team all-conference honors as a junior.[7]

Freshman season

As a freshman on the basketball team, she broke state freshman records in points scored (626) and field goals made (270) while helping Bishop Garrigan achieve a 25–2 record.[8][9] Crooks also set a new school record for single-season field goal percentage (70.7), which was previously held by her mother.[10] Crooks scored a season-high 40 points in a 73–33 win over Humboldt, shooting 17-for-23 from the field.[11] At the Class 1A state tournament, Crooks was named team captain of the all-tournament team after averaging 25.3 points and 15 rebounds per game.[9] Bishop Garrigan lost the title game against two-time defending champions Newell-Fonda, with Crooks recording 34 points and 17 rebounds in the defeat.[8] She was ultimately named Class 1A Player of the Year and first-team all-state.[9][12] Crooks and Molly Joyce were the first pair of freshman teammates in state history to make the all-state first-team.[10]

Sophomore season

As a sophomore, Crooks averaged 20.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game,[13] leading the Golden Bears to another 25–2 record.[14] She led the state in made field goals (224) while shooting 70.4 percent from the field, once again earning first-team all-state honors.[15] Bishop Garrigan entered the state tournament as the top seed but lost to Newell-Fonda again in the final, with Crooks adding 25 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game.[14]

Junior season

As a junior, Crooks recorded 23.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 72.2 percent from the field.[16][17] She also scored a school-record 44 points in a win over North Union.[18] Crooks earned first-team all-state honors for the third consecutive year after leading Bishop Garrigan to a 25–3 record and its first-ever Class 1A state title.[19][20] She recorded 15 points and 13 rebounds in the title game against MMCRU,[20] becoming the state tournament's all-time leading rebounder in only nine games.[19] Crooks was named the Iowa female athlete of the year by The Des Moines Register.[21]

Senior season

As a senior, Crooks averaged 32.9 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game, breaking the single-season state scoring record while shooting 75.2 percent from the field.[22][23] She was named Iowa Miss Basketball, the Des Moines Register All-Iowa Girls Basketball Player of the year, and earned first-team all-state honors for the fourth time, after leading the Bears to a 26–1 record and their second consecutive state title.[22][23] In the quarterfinals of the Class 1A state tournament, Crooks tallied 42 points on 20-of-25 shooting, along with 14 rebounds and three blocks, to help beat Martensdale-St Marys, 67–44.[24] Her 42 points broke the single-game 1A tournament scoring record, and also made her the state tournament's all-time leading scorer across all classes.[25] Crooks recorded 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds and led Bishop Garrigan to a 73–39 blowout win over Remsen St. Mary's in the semifinals.[23][26] In the championship game, a 68–57 victory over Newell-Fonda, she broke her own tournament record by scoring 49 points on 21-of-27 shooting, along with 16 rebounds and three blocks.[27] Crooks was named team captain of the all-tournament team after she averaged 27.6 points and 13.3 rebounds per game, breaking the records for total points (117) and rebounds (45) in a single tournament.[22][28] The Des Moines Register called it "the most dominant state tournament run in Iowa 5-on-5 history."[23] Crooks also finished as the state tournament's all-time leader in points (332) and rebounds (160).[22]

Crooks led Bishop Garrigan to an 101–8 record in her four years on the team.[28] She finished her high school career with 2,734 points and 1,339 rebounds, finishing third all-time in state history in both categories.[22][28] Crooks also set the all-time mark in field goals made (1,195) and finished second in field goal percentage (72.4).[22]

Recruiting

Crooks was rated as a four-star recruit and was considered among the best high school prospects of the 2023 class. She was ranked as the no. 42 overall recruit by Prep Girls Hoops, as well as no. 57 by ESPN.[29][30]

She received her first Division I offer from Illinois State in July 2020.[31][32] By that September she had received offers from all four Division I programs in Iowa (Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, and Drake) as well as Maryland.[33][34] The following year, Crooks received offers from Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas, Ole Miss, Penn State and Oklahoma.[31][35] She committed to Iowa State on April 14, 2022.[36] Crooks signed her National Letter of Intent on November 9, joining one of the highest-ranked recruiting classes in Iowa State history.[37]

Personal life

Crooks comes from an athletic family. Her father, Jimmie Crooks, starred at Fort Dodge Senior High School before playing college basketball at Mankato State and Southern Nazarene.[38] He died in 2021.[38] Her mother, Michelle Cook, is one of the all-time leading scorers for the Bishop Garrigan basketball team.[39] Her uncle, Matt Vitzthum, is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Grand Valley State.[33]

Outside of sports, Crooks participated in jazz choir and played trumpet in the school band at Bishop Garrigan.[1]

References
  1. "Bishop Garrigan basketball star Audi Crooks impressing as a sophomore". The Des Moines Register. February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2022. (subscription required)
  2. Reynolds, Steve (July 26, 2020). "LBI Event Recap: Tournament of Champions / Des Moines Session III Part 1 (Des Moines, IA)". LBInsider. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  3. Johnson, Chris (May 21, 2021). "Bear down". The Messenger. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  4. Murphy, Keith; Mahon, Mike (May 20, 2022). "Records fall at state track". KDSM-TV. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  5. Becker, Dana (May 21, 2022). "Audi's encore". The Messenger. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  6. Becker, Dana (May 19, 2023). "Crooks earns 4th state title". The Messenger. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  7. Davis, Gunnar (October 20, 2021). "Area players make up majority of Top of Iowa all-conference volleyball teams". Globe Gazette. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  8. Lantz, Shane (March 7, 2020). "Bishop Garrigan loses heartbreaker to Newell-Fonda in state title game". Globe Gazette. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  9. Johnson, Chris (March 19, 2020). "Crooks named 1A player of the year". The Messenger. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  10. Johnson, Chris (March 11, 2020). "Garrigan duo makes history". The Messenger. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  11. Lantz, Shane (January 21, 2020). "Area roundup: West Fork basketball team crushes Rockford". Globe Gazette. Retrieved March 7, 2022. (subscription required)
  12. Linder, Jeff (March 10, 2020). "Iowa all-state girls' basketball 2020: North Linn's Grace Flanagan follows title with 1st-team selection". The Gazette. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  13. Martin, Derek (March 14, 2021). "Introducing the 2020-21 KMA Sports All-State Teams". KMA Land. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  14. Southard, Dargan (March 6, 2021). "Girls' state basketball: Newell-Fonda knocks off Bishop Garrigan — again — for Class 1A title". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  15. Hurley, Brandon (March 17, 2021). "BACK-TO-BACK: Hoyle nabs all state honors for second straight year". The Jefferson Herald. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  16. Martin, Derek (March 13, 2021). "Introducing the 2021-22 KMA Sports All-State Girls Basketball Teams". KMA Land. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  17. Grabianowski, Greg (March 9, 2021). "Crooks, Joyce named first-team all-state". Kossuth County Advance. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  18. Grabianowski, Greg (February 2, 2022). "Crooks erupts for school record 44 points in victory". Kossuth County Advance. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  19. Johnson, Chris (March 8, 2022). "Area players attain all-state status". The Messenger. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  20. "GIRLS STATE HOOPS: Bishop Garrigan Beats MMCRU, 52-49, To Win 1A Title". Kossuth County Advance. March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  21. Hertel, Alyssa (June 30, 2022). "Sports Awards: Meet our Iowa high school players of the year for 2021-22". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  22. Johnson, Chris (March 7, 2023). "Crooks is Ms. Basketball". The Messenger. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  23. Randleman, Joe (March 24, 2023). "Meet the All-Iowa girls basketball award winners for the 2022-2023 Iowa high school season". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  24. Linder, Jeff (March 1, 2023). "The evolution of Audi Crooks has been more mental than physical". The Gazette. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  25. Moore, Raven (March 1, 2023). "Audi Crooks makes history in Bishop Garrigan's Iowa girls basketball state quarterfinal victory". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  26. Dreeszen, Dave (March 3, 2023). "Remsen St. Mary's falls in state semifinals as Garrigan's Crooks scores 26". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  27. Randleman, Joe (March 4, 2023). "Audi Crooks scores tournament-record 49 points in Bishop Garrigan's 1A state final victory". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  28. "Audi Crooks named 2023 Miss Iowa Basketball; IPSWA Girls Basketball All-State Teams announced". Iowa Print Sports Writers Association. March 7, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  29. "Audi Crooks". Prep Girls Hoops. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  30. "2023 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings - Super 60". ESPN. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  31. "Audi Crooks". WBB Blog. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  32. Audi Crooks [@AudiCrooks] (July 14, 2020). "Blessed and thankful to have received my first D1 offer from Illinois State University. Go Redbirds!!⚫️🔴 @CoachKGillespie @CoachMHenley @garriganbb @IowaWolves" (Tweet). Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Twitter.
  33. Johnson, Chris (September 24, 2020). "Courting Audi". The Messenger. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  34. "Iowa girls' basketball: Meet the preseason 2020-21 All-Iowa team". The Des Moines Register. November 20, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2022. (subscription required)
  35. "The recruitment of Iowa women's basketball phenomenon Audi Crooks is intensifying". The Des Moines Register. January 20, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022. (subscription required)
  36. Linder, Jeff (April 14, 2022). "Audi Crooks commits to play women's basketball at Iowa State". The Gazette. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  37. Birch, Tommy (November 9, 2022). "Iowa State women's basketball team signs Bishop Garrigan high school star Audi Crooks". The Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  38. Pratt, Eric (August 16, 2021). "Former Dodger standout Crooks passes away". The Messenger. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  39. Johnson, Chris (March 4, 2020). "Familiar name, familiar game". The Messenger. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
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