Copyright Boulder Daily Camera
Throughout the offseason, Colorado women’s basketball coach JR Payne would frequently hear the excitement in the voice of freshman Jade Crook. “About once every few weeks, she would say to me, ‘I’m just so excited to play. I can’t wait until we play,’ with that almost, like, youthful excitement,” Payne said this week. A 6-foot-4 freshman center from Australia, Crook turned that excitement into a stellar debut in the Buffs’ season opener last Thursday. She came off the bench to post 12 points and seven rebounds in an 84-59 win against New Mexico. “I thought it was awesome, for all this time that she’s been showing that eagerness, for her to have her first game and play really well,” Payne said. It’s the type of performance CU hopes to get again on Wednesday when it hits the road for the first time to take on No. 22 Louisville. “I think we’re ready for it,” Crook said. “I think our team, we’ve been practicing a lot, we’re coming together as a team really well. So, I think that we stand a really good chance against them.” Crook is a key reason for that optimism. The rebuilt Buffs have 10 new players this season, including a talented freshman class. Another freshman, Logyn Greer, started against New Mexico, while Erianna Gooden also played key minutes. But, Crook led the young group with 23 minutes played, helping the Buffs on both ends of the floor. “She is a really good player,” Payne said. “She’s very high IQ. She has a good understanding of just the game of basketball offensively and defensively. Her skill set is varied and she can do a little bit of everything. “The thing I love about JC and I’ve said this many times, coaches just love players that are reliable. Every single day since she arrived here, she’s been totally reliable.” Crook did have to get used to her teammates calling her by a new nickname. Because the Buffs have another Jade – senior forward Jade Masogayo – they call Crook, “JC.” “I’ve definitely gotten used to it. I like JC,” she said with a laugh. That’s part of what has been an enjoyable start to Crook’s collegiate career, as she adjusts to so much new around her. “I’ve loved it. It’s very different from back home, but I love the play style, the coaches, my teammates,” she said. “I just love it over here and just excited for the season to get fully underway.” An injury prior to arriving in Boulder this year contributed to Crook being antsy to get the season underway. It had been too long since she played a game. But, she was all smiles when asked about her contribution in the opener. “You want to help the team as much as you can, be as good as you can be,” he said. “So I was just wanting us to win and playing as well as I can. It was pretty cool. I was super excited.” The Buffs are excited about Crook’s potential, but of more pressing concern to Payne is seeing how her team handles a challenging road environment on Wednesday night. “We’re really excited for this challenge,” Payne said. “We knew that they were going to be a great team, and playing down there is a tough environment, but something that we’re excited for. We have a lot of home games this preseason, so this is a really great opportunity for us to go on the road and play.” CU Buffs women’s basketball at No. 22 Louisville TIPOFF: Wednesday, 5 p.m. MT, at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. TV/RADIO: ACC Network/KHOW 630 AM RECORDS: Colorado 1-0, 0-0 Big 12; Louisville 1-1, 0-0 ACC COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 10th season (165-115; 266-228 career). Louisville — Jeff Walz, 19th season (487-147; 506-148 career). KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — C Jade Crook, 6-4, Sr. (12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg); F Anaelle Dutat, 6-0, Sr. (16.0 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 4.0 spg); F Jade Masogayo, 6-3, Sr. (4.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg); G Claire O’Connor, 6-0, Jr. (11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg); G Kennedy Sanders, 5-8, So. (9.0 ppg, 2.0 apg); G Desiree Wooten, 5-8, Jr. (13.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.0 spg). Louisville — G Imari Berry, 5-10, So. (11.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg); G/F Skylar Jones, 6-0, Jr. (10.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg); G Tajianna Roberts, 5-10, So. (14.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg); G Reyna Scott, 5-10, Sr. (11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg); F Laura Ziegler, 6-2, Sr. (12.5 ppg, 14.5 rpg, 3.5 apg).
