Audi Crooks’ first trip back to Iowa State is already circled, and even Bill Fennelly isn’t pretending to know exactly how it will sound when she walks back into Hilton Coliseum.
The Oklahoma State star spent three seasons with the Cyclones, and now she’s set to come back wearing another Big 12 uniform after transferring to the Cowgirls. Iowa State will get her twice, but the first meeting in Ames comes Jan. 9 and will be shown on a national network because of Crooks’ return.
Fennelly, who spoke Tuesday at T-Mobile Center during Big 12 Media Days, said he can’t predict the reaction from the Iowa State crowd.
“I can’t control the reception,” Fennelly said. “I don’t know what it’s going to be. It’ll be mixed, probably.”
Crooks left as Iowa State’s second all-time leading scorer, trailing only Ashley Joens, after Fennelly recruited her out of high school in Angola, Iowa. She also heads the nation’s No. 1 transfer portal class with Oklahoma State, while former teammate Addy Brown landed at defending champion UCLA.
Crooks was one of the most popular players Iowa State has had in recent memory, and for three seasons she helped turn Hilton Coliseum into a place where the home crowd had her back. That won’t be the case this time.
Fennelly said he knows the matchup comes with plenty of emotion, but his job still comes down to the same thing.
“She played three really good years, and she added a lot to our team,” Fennelly said. “She’s part of a really good team now.”
And when Jan. 9 arrives, he expects the noise to be part of it.
“That’s the world we are in with college sports. There’s a lot of people that have played for multiple teams.
It won’t be fun - I’m not gonna lie to you about that,” Fennelly said. “I don’t dictate the schedule.
On Jan. 9 they’ll be in our building, and we’ll try to do the best we can.”
In Other News...
Colorado Is Still Turning Road Games Into Must-See Events
Colorados visit to Stillwater is still carrying the kind of buzz that tends to follow Deion Sanders team, even in a stretch where the results have gone against the Buffaloes. Oklahoma State is set for its 105th homecoming game, and the matchup has already been announced as a sellout, giving the weekend the feel of a bigger occasion than a typical late-season stop on the schedule.
The demand has shown up in the resale market, where this game is drawing the highest prices of Oklahoma States remaining home dates. Even with Colorados losing streak in the background, the Buffaloes continue to bring a national profile that makes road games feel like events, and this one has landed in that category before anyone has taken a snap. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Heads To Colorado With One Warning Fans Cant Ignore
Eric Morris did not sound like a coach overlooking Colorado just because the Buffaloes are sitting on two wins. He called them the best two-win team in the country, pointing to how competitive they have been and the experience they bring into the matchup, a reminder that Oklahoma State is walking into a game with more danger than the record suggests.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, are still juggling personnel on the back end and in the return game. Senior safety Mose Phillips III is out again with a shoulder issue, and the special teams picture also shifted when Braylin Presley got his first chance handling kickoff returns after the top option was nicked up. Those little adjustments can matter on the road, especially against a Colorado team that has made a habit of staying in games. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Just Got Hope In A Frontcourt Battle That Isn't Over
Parsa Fallahs path back to the floor has gotten a little clearer, even if it is far from settled. The Oklahoma State big man has been back around the program since August as he works his way back from a torn ACL, and a new injunction in the Glancey vs. NCAA case gives him another reason to keep pushing while he rehabs and waits on medical clearance.
The legal fight is still going, with the NCAA planning to appeal, so nothing about Fallahs status is fully locked in yet. For now, though, Steve Lutz is treating Fallah and another player on temporary injunctions like full members of the roster, which gives the Cowboys a bit of hope in the frontcourt while they wait to see whether the eligibility picture changes again. [Read more 🡒]