Two years after her breakout NCAA tournament performance as a freshman, No. 10 Iowa State center Audi Crooks has become an unstoppable force for the Cyclones as they look to better their first-round exit from last year's postseason.
The junior is leading the nation in scoring with a career-high 27.3 points per game, all while smashing her own Iowa State single-game scoring record with a 47-point performance against Indiana on November 30th.
"These scoring records are really team records, especially for me as a post," Crooks told the Des Moines Register after the Cyclones' 106-95 win over the Hoosiers. "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 will turn 21 years old this Saturday, continued her scoring pace with a 30-point game against Northern Illinois on Sunday — registered in only 19 minutes of playing time during the 105-52 blowout win.
Her efficiency has been on full display in the young 2025/26 NCAA season, with Crooks currently sitting first in field goal percentage at 73.8% while averaging only 25.3 minutes of playing time per game.
"It's always fun to watch her cook. When you get the ball to her hands and it's going in, it's Audi-matic," said Iowa State guard Reagan Wilson following Sunday's victory.
How to watch Crooks and Iowa State in action this week
Crooks and the No. 10 Cyclones will take on their season's biggest test yet on Wednesday, when they'll host in-state rival No. 12 Iowa.
The two unbeaten programs will clash at 7 PM ET, airing live on ESPN.
The 2024/25 NCAA basketball season is down to its 10 final days of competition, with conference tournament seeding hanging in the balance as top teams try to build up some March Madness momentum.
Proving that nothing is guaranteed, two teams suffered upset losses on Thursday night.
In the ACC, No. 11 Duke fell to unranked Louisville 70-62. Though senior guard Jayda Curry led both the Cardinals and the game with 24 points, Louisville's victory came largely from the free throw line, where the Cards snagged 22 points but the Blue Devils only banked four.
The Big Ten followed suit, when unranked Indiana downed No. 8 Ohio State 71-61. Fueled by double-digit performances from four different Hoosiers, Indiana took an early lead and never relented, outshooting and out-rebounding the Buckeyes to hand them their fourth loss on the season.
NCAA conference titles take center court in decisive weekend matchups
While some teams are stumbling at the finish line, others have a shot at clinching conference hardware this weekend.
With a two-win lead on the ACC table, No. 1 Notre Dame has the chance to lock down the conference's regular-season title on Sunday, when the Irish will take on second-place No. 13 NC State.
The consequential clash has earned Raleigh a visit from ESPN’s College Gameday, with the pre-game show slated to build upon last weekend’s success in South Carolina with another high-stakes matchup.
Meanwhile in the SEC, No. 7 LSU’s season is also on the line. Unlike the Irish, however, the Tigers are simply trying to keep their dwindling conference title hopes alive, facing a must-win game against No. 14 Kentucky on Sunday.
To claim the SEC’s No. 1 seed, LSU would also need both No. 2 Texas and No. 6 South Carolina to stumble in their regular-season home stretch.
Beyond conference titles, the regular season’s wind-down can provide insights into how far teams can run into the postseason, as any upsets this week could spell busted brackets — or unexpected surges — come March.
How to watch Sunday's Top 15 NCAA basketball games
No. 1 Notre Dame will tip off the ranked Sunday action against No. 13 NC State at 12 PM ET, with live coverage of the ACC titans airing on ESPN.
Then at 4 PM ET, No. 7 LSU will try to steal a road win over No. 14 Kentucky, with ESPN also airing the decisive SEC meeting.