Iowa State Cyclones finally halted their slide on Wednesday, scraping together a much-needed result against the Cincinnati Bearcats after five straight losses. As usual, Audi Crooks led the charge with 24 points, while junior Jada Williams delivered crucial support with a breakout scoring night. The win offered relief, but it did little to quiet broader concerns around Crooks and the Cyclones, issues two national analysts continue to flag.

Speaking on the We Need to Talk channel, analyst Alicia Jay highlighted the concerning lack of support for Crooks, which has cost IOWA State dearly this season. So far this season, Crooks has led the side on offense while also adjusting to her duties protecting the rim. While her offensive performances have led her to the top of the point-scoring list, the over-reliance has also cost the team.

“I mean, they’re adjusting to Audi Crooks. Jada Williams, we need that 44 points, maybe not 44, that’s kind of hard, but we need that type of play from her. We know she can do it. Just more support, we talked about that earlier,” Jay said.

“With IOWA State, it really was Audi; it was her show. She’s a very talented player, but a team can’t rest on one person alone.”

“You’re getting those performances from Sarah Strong, and it is not just what UConn has at its arsenal, and it’s all of the things that are done on the non-sexy defensive side,” Jay’s partner Erica L. Ayala further backed her up, while drawing comparisons between IOWA State and top-ranked UConn.

Notably, for the Huskies, Strong, like Crooks, plays a two-way role, offensively and defensively. But the likes of Azzi Fudd and Blanca Quinonez complement her perfectly.

For the Cyclones, Williams and Addy Brown will have to fill the shoes of Fudd and Quinonez and support Audi Crooks consistently as the latter players do for Strong. Crooks has led the scoring in 17 of the 20 matches for IOWA State, with an average of 26.8 ppg. However, in terms of her defensive output, she is averaging just 0.9 blocks and 0.4 steals, which is quite a concern for Bill Fennelly’s team. Thus, to complement this defensive weakness, the Cyclones would again look forward to Williams and Brown.

Moreover, there have also been concerns about the rest of the squad on offense. While Crooks, Williams, and Brown are averaging over 10 ppg, the fourth-highest on the roster is Sydney Harris’ minimal 6.8, which is quite disappointing. This lack of support was also clearly visible in the five back-to-back defeats despite Crooks’ three double-doubles in these matches.

If the IOWA State Cyclones want to advance anywhere near the National Championships, the entire squad, including the bench players, would have to step up their game. And they would hope that the Cincinnati game marked the beginning of it, after five defeats following 14 consecutive wins.

Audi Crooks and IOWA State Face Arizona’s Challenge Next

Bill Fennelly and Audi Crooks’ quest to improve their situation will be against Arizona next on Saturday at the Hilton Coliseum. IOWA State Cyclones are going into the match as favorites. ESPN analysts have given them a 97% chance of beating unranked Arizona. The Tigers have a fragile defense, conceding 68.6 opp ppg, 280th in the nation.

It is definitely a brighter side for Crooks and co going into the match. However, if it comes down to Crooks alone against the Tigers, it will push the side into the back gear. In that instance, all the Tigers would need to do is vigorously defend the point and emphasize interior defense, as Crooks doesn’t rely much on shooting from distance. Thus, the formula for success in Arizona will again be coordination and team performance.

However, Fennelly isn’t much concerned with the over-reliance on Crooks, despite the back-to-back defeats. “Hopefully, we continue to do the things we’ve been doing. I mean, we keep working hard, and tonight we have won,” he said after the Cincinnati game. “The other games we didn’t. I think staying at home will help us a little bit, so we won’t have to travel right away.”

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Thus, it would be interesting to see whether the Iowa State squad can help Crooks defeat a resilient Arizona eager to secure a point after three losses, or will the Tigers prevail in caging Crooks and stage an upset? Do let us know.