Is Oklahoma's Pursuit of Audi Crooks Actually a Good Idea?

Jennie Baranczyk and her staff have a lot of work to do this offseason.

The losses of Raegan Beers and Payton Verhulst meant OU would have production to replace in the transfer portal, and Zya Vann’s decision to enter the portal will only serve to further those needs.

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Former Iowa State star Audi Crooks is headed to the portal, and Oklahoma emerged as a team with early interest.

Crooks is one of the biggest names in the portal, which likely will come with a big price tag, which is money the Sooners would be much better off spending elsewhere.

Crooks’ offensive impact was undeniable with the Cyclones.

Iowa State Cyclones' center Audi Crooks goes for a shot around Oklahoma State Cowgirls forward Achol Akot and guard Stailee Heard. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

She burst onto the scene as a freshman, averaging 19.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, and her offensive impact has grown through her career.

Crooks averaged 23.4 points per game on 60.5% shooting as a sophomore and last year she chipped in 25.8 points per game on 64.9% shooting, adding 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

The transition to playing in Baranczyk’s fast-paced offense would likely be easier for Crooks than it was for Beers.

Oregon State ranked 274th in pace in Beers’ sophomore season per Bart Torvik, whereas Iowa State ranked 59th in pace last season.

But as big of a mismatch as Beers posed, the Sooners didn’t funnel the entirety of their offense through the low post.

Beers averaged 10.5 field goal attempts per game in each of the last two seasons, and her field goal attempts were behind Aaliyah Chavez last year (16.6 attempts), Payton Verhulst (11.1) and just ahead of Sahara Williams (10.1).

Verhulst and Vann’s shot attempts are gone, but it’s would represent a major shift in Oklahoma’s offensive game plan to slow things down and feed Crooks the 15.9 attempts per game she got last year at Iowa State.

And as important as Beers was on the offensive end of the floor for the Sooners, she was essential in her role as the team’s defensive anchor.

Oklahoma Sooners, Raegan Beer — Raegan Beers contests a shot against LSU in the SEC Tournament. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Beers’ ability to patrol the back line of OU’s defense allowed Oklahoma’s guards to play more aggressively on the perimeter.

Last year, teams attacked Crooks relentlessly on the defensive end of the floor due to her many lapses.

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Crooks will become an even bigger liability in the SEC.

Baranczyk preaches that the slate in the Southeastern Conference is the toughest in the nation, both when it comes to skill and athleticism.

It was an adjustment for the program to battle SEC-caliber athletes every night after moving over from the Big 12, and Crooks herself would only have a year to get acclimated and prove that she can actually play defense.

That’s a big gamble for Oklahoma, both in how Crooks would fit financially and on the floor, to take as it looks to get to the next level and return to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2010 with Chavez returning for her sophomore season and a trio of freshmen, including 6-foot-3 forward Leelee Bell.