Notre Dame may be positioning themselves to make a major splash in women’s college basketball.
Iowa State center Audi Crooks has emerged as one of the sport’s most physically imposing and productive players and there are rumors that Audi is very strongly considering South Bend as her home next season.
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Crooks, a junior from Algona, Iowa, has been a force for the Cyclones since arriving in Ames. She averaged 25.5 points per game this past season while shooting nearly 65 percent from the field. She also added 7.8 rebounds per game and earned AP Second Team All-American recognition.
For Notre Dame, the fit makes sense. The Irish are coming off a 25-11 season in which they also finished 12-6 in the ACC. The Irish had a strong postseason run and made it to the Elite Eight where they eventually lost to UConn.
Crooks’ inside presence could pair well with star Hannah Hidalgo’s backcourt abilities. Hannah, who announced her return to the Irish for her senior season, is widely considered one of the best players in all of college basketball and is a returning National Defensive Player of the Year. Hannah’s decision to stay gives the Irish the foundation and centerpiece to make another serious run for a title push.
Notre Dame is already projected as a preseason top 10 team going into next season. If Crooks were to join the mix, Notre Dame could suddenly have elite production both from the backcourt and the front court. One thing can be said for certain, head coach Niele Ivey has the Irish program on a trajectory to go back to being one of the elite programs in the entire sport. And next year, she might have one of the elite forces in the paint to assist her in that.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Could Hannah Hidalgo have a dominant partner with her next season?
