Agree, If Williams and Blum's numbers are accurate. 200K (which is a number I've seen rumored) would be about 1/4 of Audi or 1/3 of Addy. Whoever would pay that is getting a terrible deal.
Audi Crooks to Transfer
- Thread starter Clone5
- Start date
I agree with Blum’s comment on Crooks at ISU:
“I don’t think there’s been a more nationally relevant player - in any sport - than Audi Crooks.”
She’s worth more than most football players; we don’t even know 99% of their names.
Coming from the perspective of someone who lives in Colorado, I actually disagree with this. Our MBB and football players (particularly the ones in the NFL like Purdy and Breece) are way more relevant.
I think she’s extremely relevant in Iowa based on commentary here and in W&B, which is the perspective Blum and CW have. But I don’t believe that’s true when you leave the bubble of Iowa.
I think they meant current play. Not ever.
In my limited sample size, this is true.
I've not watched WBB for a couple years (officiating makes it unwatchable imho) and my interest in WBB at ISU is intermittent.
But if there were divisions within the team, if "they didn't enjoy playing together", then that is on the coaching staff - 100%.
If it's 1 person that is a cancer, you put them in their place or dump them. If it's a couple cliques squaring off, then you pick a winner and prise off anyone that can be turned. It's personnel management, and it's 100% the responsibility of Bill, Billy, Steyer, et al to sort it out as soon as its an issue. Letting it fester and wreck a season is abject failure of coaching.
Yeah even Jefferson, Milan, and probably Tamin were more relevant than Audi. From my personal perspective, I had many sports fan friends in CO give me a “bummer about Jefferson” or talk up Milan. Jefferson’s injury was on the front page of ESPN and even brought up on local Denver radio I listen to (while talking about brackets).
Candidly, none of these people (sans the national media part) even know who Audi Crooks is.
Agree. Listening to Blum, he estimates the Big 3 in total will be in the $2M NIL area. He thinks CBF will have close to $1M to spend. The remaining five, IMO, might make more elsewhere, but doubtful.
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Since I'm being referenced here, my point was while they were at Iowa State. Audi has been featured by Pat McAfee, Barstool, Sportscenter, Good Morning America, on and on. While Purdy and Tyrese are much more notable now, they weren't (in my opinion) as culturally relevant while at Iowa State. Appreciate the discussion.
I appreciate your honesty about her impact. Also you calling her leaving “a gut punch.”
With Audi’s outgoing personality with fans, her charisma, plus her on-court achievements, many Cyclone fans I know would say the same thing.
I think that’s a fair point culturally based on the GMA appearance.
Just from my perspective, as an out-of-stater, she’s not relevant in my world in Colorado. But what you and I are saying aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. Although I think our MBB players are still more relevant based on the team’s success and the fact that MBB is a more popular sport.
Either way, you should not be taking any of the blame for her leaving!
It sucks that she left but that's life now. I'm more worried about how the foundation is going to handle We will. They like a pretty healthy cut when they help fund raise for projects. Also the visibility has went down since they assumed control IMO.
I think in another yr or 2 most wbb players will be worth scholly and 50 grand. Ad's will quite burning cash on sports that lose money. Just one person's opinion.
I think in another yr or 2 most wbb players will be worth scholly and 50 grand. Ad's will quite burning cash on sports that lose money. Just one person's opinion.
I don’t think the AD or Foundation started pushing anything before January 1, which was when they formally took over, so there was IMO a 6 odd month gap between the collective announcing it was winding down and Jan 1 where there wasn’t much of anything going on it seemed like, although I’m sure there was stuff behind the scenes with corporations, but there was no outreach to donors to the collective until after January. Even after then, I got a couple emails from the foundation and saw a couple posts from the Cyclone Club/ AD about the We Will Fund. It definitely doesn’t feel like the fund is a priority
I’m not going to blame anyone for her leaving. But as someone who spent a lot of time watching her high‑school games once her recruitment began—almost to the point where I felt like I was defending her play—I saw the potential she had. She had great hands, good footwork, and I was genuinely excited about what she could become at Iowa State. And for a while, that promise held, even within the limits of her role.
I still admire Audi and wish her well. But why should I take her “the grass is greener where you water it” proverb seriously when she isn’t living by it herself? She can go wherever she wants—that’s her right—but she lost me somewhere along Highway 30. She talked about making the grass greener by investing where you are, yet she left before giving herself the chance to finish that here. For me, the bloom is off.
So since Audi was the last one to announce transferring - I assume the others didn’t enjoy playing with her then?
Just curious if this is really the case.
That's probably fair, depending on how you look at it. Audi's attention is probably culturally broader in that it extends beyond just sports fans but someone like Jefferson or Milan probably would be more nationally 'relevant' overall (just IMO). You see Milan especially getting somewhat regularly referenced in games not even involving Iowa State, which is something we haven't had a ton of either.
Good 'problem' to have to debate while we had it.
That does give her a higher national relevancy, but it also puts higher demands on her. Clark did those things while she was in college, difference was she carried her team to the title game twice.
If a player like Audi or Clark, in essence, sucks all the oxygen out of the room for themselves, they better make it worth the ride for the other teammates. Clark did by taking the Iowa WBB where it has never been. Audi has taken the team to first round losses. I am guessing that the other players felt like they were basically carrying Audi on defense, and then having her demand the ball even while double teamed, got tiring.
IMO, if we had reached the F4(maybe just the E8), players may have stuck around, but when we didn’t put up tourney wins; they decided they wanted either more: money, recognition, deeper tourneys, or all of the above.
What is their source for this claim?
I'm not saying it wasn't a thing as it can and does happen no matter how much success a group has or how great things are early, just curious.
