The best duos are often unexpected. Bert and Ernie had opposite personalities. Woodstock met Snoopy by landing on his nose and annoying the crap out of him. And Lilo and Stich literally explores the dynamics of an alien and human friendship. It doesn’t get more opposite than that.
I’m adding Audi Crooks and Jada Williams to that list.
In their first year playing together, Crooks and Williams have the chemistry of long-term teammates. Crooks is averaging a career-high 27.6 points per game, while Williams is enjoying a career mark in assists with 6.7 per game. Those stats go hand-in-hand. Crooks doesn’t score without being passed the ball, and Williams doesn’t get an assist unless the shot is made. Together, they led No. 10 Iowa State to a 74-69 win over No. 11 Iowa in Wednesday’s rivalry contest.
Crooks finished with 30 points, while Williams recorded 12 assists. Crooks dazzled with her interior footwork and soft touch. Williams found perfect passing angles and delivered the ball with the right spin and velocity. One couldn’t succeed without the other, and Iowa State couldn't win without them playing together.
Yet, Crooks and Williams seem like opposites.
Crooks is a home-grown Iowa kid, who played her high school ball in Algona, a town of 5,487 people. When he started recruiting her, Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly wasn’t sure how her game would transfer to college from her small high school team and low-level AAU squad. She was a four-star recruit who snuck into college with little hype from the outside world.
Meanwhile, Williams came into college with pomp and circumstance. A social media-darling, Overtime featured her in countless YoTtube compilations, in awe of her flashy moves and on-court swagger. Williams signed NIL deals in high school and left San Diego’s La Jolla Country Day for Arizona as the country’s No. 7 recruit.
Crooks had the luxury of anonymity while Williams bore the weight of expectations. And once they got to college, those storylines flipped.
Crooks had instant success, scoring 19.2 points per game as a freshman and leading her team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with 40 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Maryland. Then, when the Cyclones lost to 2-seed Stanford in the next round, Cameron Brink told Crooks in the handshake line, “You’re going to be so good. You’re already so good.”
Audi Crooks had arrived.
Williams was getting lost.
Her numbers were solid (9.5 points and 2.4 assists per game), and Williams was named to the PAC-12 All-Freshman team. But Arizona struggled, finishing the season 18-15. In Year 2, Williams again performed well as an individual, but the Wildcats went 19-13 and missed the NCAA Tournament. Her talent was still there, but Williams hadn’t catapulted into the superstardom she seemed destined for in high school.
Crooks had found her place, while Williams needed to start over. She entered the portal and committed to play with Crooks at Iowa State. It’s at this point in the story that our individuals become a duo.
Here’s the thing about those unexpected partnerships. Once you peel back the opposite exteriors, you find commonality.
Williams may have finished her high school career in San Diego, but she started it in Missouri. To this day, her family owns and operates a sweet corn farm in Rockport, a town of 1,238 people. At her core, Williams is a midwesterner, just like Crooks. The two even grew up playing against each other as kids, with their Iowa and Missouri-based AAU teams battling as rivals.
So when it was time to find a new home, Williams was keen to get back to her roots, both in the country and on the court. She may have become known for flashy scoring, but point guards are passers first, and that’s exactly what Williams is doing at Iowa State.
And Crooks is the primary beneficiary.
Against Iowa, their connection led to a repetitive take-down of the Hawkeyes. Possession after possession, Crooks got in position, sealing her defender and calling for the ball. Then, Williams floated a pass over the top, or threw a swift bounce-pass to her leading hand. Iowa had no answer.
Crooks and Williams. Audi and Jada. Post and guard.
Unexpected and unstoppable.