Westernhawk
Well-Known Member
Dude, Heiden is maybe Iowa's best player.
Audie Crooks in transfer portal
- Thread starter CP87
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She showed a nice drive from the high-post (has a very quick first step). She will need to improve on reacting to help defense on those drives, she would frequently turn it over if help slid over. Stuelke used to really struggle with that, as well, but by this season she got really good at slipping a pass to the other post or spraying it out to a shooter. Stuelke was 3rd on the team in assists and has A:TO of 1.5 after never being above 1 previously in her career. Ava will make the same progress.
Ava was also pretty good with elbow jumpers. She shot 74% from FT this year, so she has the tools to keep improving that skill.
In my opinion, the biggest "skill" she needs to work on next year is eliminating stupid fouls 90 feet from the basket and reaching less on defense.
SwirlinLingerie
Well-Known Member
I doubt they could play a ton together. Even though Crooks has a little range, there isn't much point to having her on the floor but away from the basket.
The value in my mind is that you'd always have one of them on the floor and they'd always be fresh. No need to worry about pacing themselves or worrying about foul trouble.
All that said, I can't see it. Crooks is gonna fetch like a million bucks in the portal. Iowa has quite a few more needs to fill besides another center.
The value in my mind is that you'd always have one of them on the floor and they'd always be fresh. No need to worry about pacing themselves or worrying about foul trouble.
All that said, I can't see it. Crooks is gonna fetch like a million bucks in the portal. Iowa has quite a few more needs to fill besides another center.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Audi had a strange, strange year. Before Christmas she may have the most talked about player in women's college basketball. Then you gradually heard less and less, then little at all. Then a quick tourney exit and now in the portal.
Seriously, she needs to get that weight under control. Not just for her basketball potential but her own well being. She was easily 25-30 lbs heavier than her sophomore year. Easily. At 6 foot 3 she's gotta be pushing 300-320 lbs. Thats too much for a 6 foot 10 men's post player to be lugging up and down the court, much less Audi.
I'm old enough to remember their heavyweight and Olympic wrestler Chris Taylor competing at near 400 lbs. And not making it to age 30. Audi needs to cut at least 50 lbs for her game and her own sake.
Seriously, she needs to get that weight under control. Not just for her basketball potential but her own well being. She was easily 25-30 lbs heavier than her sophomore year. Easily. At 6 foot 3 she's gotta be pushing 300-320 lbs. Thats too much for a 6 foot 10 men's post player to be lugging up and down the court, much less Audi.
I'm old enough to remember their heavyweight and Olympic wrestler Chris Taylor competing at near 400 lbs. And not making it to age 30. Audi needs to cut at least 50 lbs for her game and her own sake.
Don't forget the Clown women's gymnastics team. During the season they cancelled all remaining meets and then dropped the sport altogether.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Have watched 85% of Iowa's women's games this year. Heiden scored 85% of her points off the same, quick baseline move. She is a positional post. If she beats you to her position and creates baseline leverage for ball receipt, she is nearly impossible to stop. Jan Jensen pupil. But, thwart that move and she struggles somewhat to get to a secondary move. I have watched Crooks play 5-6 games. To say her offensive game is more multiple, creative, and skilled than Heiden's is beyond cavil. Crooks can score in multiple ways. They are different players, but I think they could compliment each other. Most teams would not have two bigs that could bang with those two.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
If you watched Iowa's offense when it was most effective, Hannah and Ava were both within 12 feet of the basket setting up either a hi/low pass or a drive and dish. Iowa's interior play was fought in a tight phone booth. I could see it working effectively. Crooks has a good midrange shot so the defender could not sag, and she has good passing vision.
I tend to agree on money though. There is not a limitless pot of gold at Iowa. We are paying a lot to the incoming freshman, have to retain the talent we have, and I am sure the men's success is going to put pressure on donor dollars as well. This is a pipe dream, but if she wanted to stay home, it would be worth a conversation.
Yes it was and that provided as many issues as it did results. If we thought that was the case last yr Audie and Ava would only be worse. Against the teams that aren't as good we could do that over and over and dominate. Against UCLA and some other good teams not so much.
I don't think an Ava/Audie team up would work very well in the big picture. I think they could win 20ish games and be a 7-9 seed NCAA team. Finishing in the middle of the league. I don't think that's the type of season Jan and the program is striving for.
Granted that's not factoring in whatever other moves might be made. Iowa needs an outside shooter or 2 in the worst way. That was also their huge problem. Chit-Chat was the only one they could count on and I think as the yr went on she got worn down with so much being put on her plate. She needs help
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
She is definitely Iowa's best player. I did not state or suggest otherwise. Crooks is second team all-American. Both are great players. The question is whether they could play together effectively. I think so. My point was not that one was better than the other. My point is that while are both excellent post players, they have very different offensive games.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
I don't disagree that Iowa needs another outside shooter other than Wright. Losing McCabe hurt a lot. We did not have a consistent threat from the 3. That needs to change if Iowa wants to be a Top 10 team.
But, if the price were right, I am not turning down one of the most dominant scoring post players in the country. On the men's side, teams like Illinois seem to do just fine having two bigs. Its hard to defend.
I think that is fair. Heiden does have secondary moves, but I would guess her efficiency drops off substantially as she is forced into those moves. But, she is a sophomore and Crooks is a junior, so I think the difference in skill is partly due to age and experience. Heiden has showed off plenty of good cross-overs and counterspins in the post to demonstrate she has those moves in her repertoire...she just needs them to become more polished and automatic. I also think you are not giving proper respect to her drive from the high post, which resulted in quite a few layups (she has a great first-step).
Crooks has that sweet one-legged fadeaway; our posts have never really utilized the fadeaway extensively (Stuelke dabbled with it, but it wasn't consistent). Of our current posts, it seems like that could be a good move for Hayes to work on...she has a high and compact release and good hands. She is also less likely to beat you with speed than Heiden.
As far as Iowa is concerned I think it's all mute. I don't think the price would be right and I doubt she'd be interested nor would Jan even if the $ was right. Audie is going to have large offers and multiple interested parties. They may not be the top of the top echelon schools though. But it only takes 1.
What teams started doing against Ava late in the yr was bringing the help after she commits to putting it down and spinning one way or the other. She spun herself into a double team and either traveled or got a jump ball quite a bit doing that. She's gotta get faster with reading that and getting rid of the ball. Obviously when she puts the ball on the floor and holds it to her belly it doesn't matter how tall she is. Chit-Chat could steal it from her then.
I love Avas game and I think she's graduating to the next level of post play next yr. She's gotten herself to where 1v1 she's pretty unguardable. Now she has to learn to read defenses and quickly make decisions with the ball once she sees what the D is doing. Put more shooters around her and a slasher and look out.
Westernhawk
Well-Known Member
I think you may be right about them playing together. My only question about Crooks as it relates to Iowa's style, can she get up and down the court effectively to play defense? There's no doubt she's a fantastic offensive weapon.
I know it's not PC to suggest this, but Crooks really needs to improve her fitness and agility. She is gifted but I wonder how great she could be if she were fitter and a bit more agile.
Westernhawk
Well-Known Member
Yeah, yikes!
judzeehawk
Well-Known Member
CC is asking people on facebook what if Audi came to Iowa? Yay or Nay
So far the Nays have it.
So far the Nays have it.
Glass1/2fullguy
Well-Known Member
There are only a small handful of what i would consider elite wbb programs. Audi 100% will go to a good program and get paid to do so. And by good i'm talking about programs like iowa, michigan, TCU, OSU, OU, Kentucky, Duke, etc. These are all good programs but no where near the caliber of an elite program like Uconn or SC. I watched quite bit of audi over the last couple years. I love her offensive game. It's elite. Her defense however sucks imo.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
I posted this on a different thread, but it's more appropriate here:
"I haven't checked into who's leaving, but, if I had to choose, I'd take Addy Brown over Crooks in a heartbeat. She's gritty, intense and has a warrior mentality. Brown would be a home run addition if she's a culture fit."
The other thing I would add is McKenna Woliczko is going to see the floor a lot as a true frosh. Adding Brown along with Woliczko would be huge. Think of Brown as a taller, longer Kate Martin.
"I haven't checked into who's leaving, but, if I had to choose, I'd take Addy Brown over Crooks in a heartbeat. She's gritty, intense and has a warrior mentality. Brown would be a home run addition if she's a culture fit."
The other thing I would add is McKenna Woliczko is going to see the floor a lot as a true frosh. Adding Brown along with Woliczko would be huge. Think of Brown as a taller, longer Kate Martin.
judzeehawk
Well-Known Member
This would be a huge get for the Hawks. I agree with you 100%
Hawkboys
Well-Known Member
This is where Aliyah Boston is 1 of the best in the WNBA. If the D comes, pass it to the open shooter, if it doesn't, dribble drive past the slower post or overpower a weaker post.
