Iowa State freshman Audi Crooks ready to prove doubters wrong on the basketball court

AMES – Iowa State women’s basketball freshman Audi Crooks has heard all the questions surrounding her game.

The doubters wondered if Crooks, despite being one of the most sought-after players in the state, had what it took to make the jump to the Big 12 Conference after dominating opponents in Class 1A for her high school career at Bishop Garrigan in Algona.

"I've heard a lot of that through my high school career," Crooks said. "And still now."

Crooks will get her first shot to prove them wrong when she, and the rest of the Cyclones, head to Italy and Greece to play three games in Europe later this month. Iowa State’s tour will include stops in Rome, Naples and Sorrento in Italy and Athens in Greece from Aug. 7-17.

“I don't really focus on proving people wrong as much as I do proving myself right," Crooks said. "This is something that I've known that I can do."

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The Cyclones will take the court with virtually an entirely new roster, with just five remaining players from last year’s team. Iowa State’s revamped group is full of transfers and the most decorated recruiting class in program history, including the 6-foot-3 center who was ranked the 57th best player in the 2023 class, according to the HoopGurlz Recruiting espnW 100.

She was a star in high school as a four-time Class 1A All-Tournament team member and a two-time state champion. Crooks capped off her remarkable time as a prep player by pouring in an all-class state tournament record 48 points in the championship game.

But that was in high school. Crooks now faces the tall task of competing in one of the toughest conferences in the nation.

It's a task she's said she's ready for and embraced since moving to Ames in June. Crooks has even gotten a head-start on her transition with the Cyclones being awarded 10 extra practices for their trip overseas. Through the first eight of those, she earned plenty of praise from teammate Nyamer Diew and Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly.

More: Iowa State women's basketball coach Bill Fennelly expecting a lot out of incoming freshmen class

“She’s coming from a small town and really didn’t play on the big-time AAU circuit,” Fennelly said. “So, everything is new to her. But she’s shown up every day and worked really, really hard. And I think she's going to do some really good things."

The Cyclones will need her to after losing the bulk of their post presence from a season ago. Stephanie Soares, who suffered a torn ACL, was denied a medical waiver to compete another year. She was drafted by the Dallas Wings and is rehabbing from her injury. Morgan Kane entered the transfer portal. So did Maggie Vick. So, the pressure is on Crooks, Izzi Zingaro and transfer Isnelle Natabou to fill the void this upcoming season.

"We're counting on her (Crooks), Izzi and Isnelle," Fennelly said. "It's been a long time since we've had a true five-man, one-post presence. And I think we have three options."

While Crooks may have to share the spotlight early on, she's considered to be the future of the spot, in large part because of her skillset and potential. For now, the focus is on the present and getting her more and more acclimated to college life. Like the other freshmen in her class, Fennelly said the biggest thing is getting them used to the pace of the next level and doing everything with a purpose.

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Crooks concedes there were some early adjustments. But now that she's getting used to her new surroundings and getting into the flow of things, she's starting to feel at home like she did in high school.

"Bringing my confidence that I had in high school to this level because, yes, it is a big stage, but I mean, the hoop's still 10 feet high," she said. "Just remembering who I am, where I came from and that I can bring assets to this team."

Crooks isn't the only one in her class who will get plenty of opportunities. The other four freshmen, Jalynn Bristow, Arianna Jackson, Kelsey Joens and Addy Brown, will all be expected to grab valuable minutes this season after Iowa State's roster went through its makeover. It's a task Crooks said they're all up to.

"These coaches didn't bring us in for us to collect dust on the bench," Crooks said. "We came here to make some noise. We came here to play. We came here to contribute. And I don't think there would be a better opportunity besides this year with a ton of fresh faces."

They'll get a good sense of how ready they are for the tall task during their trip overseas. It will be a chance for the young Cyclones to not only get valuable experience on the court but bond off it as well. Diew said that's already off to such a strong start that she's predicting big things for the Cyclones for this season, even while many aren't.

More: Iowa State's Emily Ryan explains why she decided to stay with the Cyclones

"I'm excited because everyone thinks Iowa State women's basketball's not ready for what's coming," Diew said. "But they don't realize that we have Emily Ryan and she is ready to take the world by surprise. So, I'm super excited for everyone. Just keep doubting us. Let them know, I don't care. We're working. We don't really care about the outside noise. We're super excited for everything that's to come."

Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Overseas basketball trip is a huge test for Iowa State’s Audi Crooks