Audi Crooks will be leaving Ames, Iowa, this spring. After three seasons with the Iowa State Cyclones, the women’s basketball standout has decided to jump on the transfer portal in the look for new horizons in her fourth and final season of college basketball.
Many programs would look to get Crooks for her final season, as joining the right program would make said school an immediate national title contender. Among the top contenders, of course, is Dawn Staley’s South Carolina.
The reality is that the Gamecocks are losing two players of importance this season, center Madina Okot and guard Raven Johnson. Both are seniors, and they’re playing their last season. Crooks, a center, could fill in one of the spots left by the defensive-minded players and bring in more points for South Carolina.
There’s one problem, and that is that due to her size (6-foot-3 and listed as weighing 220 pounds), she has very little athleticism of the kind needed to cover the kind of defensive duties pulled by Johnson and Okot. She could do little beyond occupying space and holding her ground, unless she loses significant weight.
That being said, that same size makes her an incredible offensive threat, and Staley could work around that. Crooks’ points easily offset her lack of defensive prowess.
The Gamecocks could have Chloe Kitts work in a slightly different role next season and pick up some of the defensive slack. Joyce Edwards is also expected to become the center of the defense.
Audi Crooks’ Message for Iowa State Fans in Wake of her Decision to Leave
Audi Crooks announced her decision to leave Iowa State this Thursday via social media. On her social media handles, she shared the following statement for the Cyclone fandom:
“Thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day,” Crooks wrote in a social media post directed toward Cyclone Nation. “I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State.
“I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here. It’s why I want you to hear from me directly that I have decided to enter the portal and explore what it means to take root again in new ground.”
There’s a bit of an exodus going on at Ames, with nine other players also jumping in the transfer portal this week.
Read More:
Dawn Staley Pokes Fun at Raven Johnson’s Brand Deal as Gamecocks Prepare to Face Oklahoma
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