Audi Crooks is making history look easy. The Iowa State center poured in a school-record 47 points Sunday, leading the No. 10 Cyclones to a 106-95 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in the Coconut Hoops Blue Heron Division championship game.
Crooks was nearly unstoppable in the paint, shooting 19-for-25 from the field and adding 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. She also tallied four rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes of action, breaking her previous scoring record of 43 points set earlier this month against the Valparaiso Beacons.
Did Pat McAfee Predict Audi Crooks’ Breakout?
The dominant performance validated a bold claim made just weeks ago. During a Nov. 13 segment of the “Pat McAfee Show,” after Crooks had dropped 43 points, seven rebounds and two assists against Valparaiso, ESPN’s Pat McAfee lavished praise on the Cyclones star and offered a huge prediction about Iowa State’s national championship chances.
“Speaking of fireworks, Audi Crooks, my new favorite basketball player,” McAfee said. “Audi Crooks doesn’t need a lot of time, but she’s gonna take over. And we just need to be prepared for March Madness, for it to be the Audi Crooks show. Because my timeline has already become that.
“I think every game that she plays, I’m seeing absurd stat lines like this. And I legitimately don’t think she’s stoppable. Anytime she comes in, the whole place knows, the other team knows it’s about to go down. Her team knows we’re putting this ball in one place. It’s awesome! I think they’re winning the national championship.”
Crooks first grabbed the public’s attention when she scored 40 points in the Cyclones’ 93-86 comeback win against the Maryland Terrapins in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Following the disappointment of being knocked out of the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Crooks has led the Cyclones to a perfect 9-0 start, their best in 11 years.
What Did Crooks Say After Breaking the Record?
Sunday’s outburst against Indiana didn’t just top her recent effort against Valparaiso; it surpassed the long-standing school record of 42 points set by Tonya Burns against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1984. She spoke about her record-breaking performance during a phone interview with the “Des Moines Register.”
“I was like, ‘Oh lord, this is something,’” Crooks said. “These scoring records are really team records, especially for me as a post. I don’t bring the ball up. Somebody else does that and I don’t pass the ball in the paint. Somebody else does that.”
Crooks, who is considered among the elite players in the country, is now the leading scorer in women’s college basketball with 27.3 points per game, sitting just ahead of Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Hannah Hidalgo (27.0 ppg). She has also averaged 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Cyclones this season.