Janai Crooms – The Players Pick

College: Providence (’23)

Height: 1.78m

Position: Guard/Forward

Nationality: America/Rwanda (Cotonou)

Pro Career:

Wrote history with the National Team of Rwanda in Afrobasket 2023, as she led the team to the Semifinals for the first time ever!

Puerto Rico (Santurce)

2022-23 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
• Played 31 of the Friars’ 32 games and appeared in the starting line-up each time.
• Averaged a team-best 11.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
• Finished second on the team in with a 0.480 shooting percentage (155-323).
• Dished 5+ assists in nine games, including a season-best seven assists in back-to-back games against Bryant (Nov. 27) and UConn (Dec. 2).
• Led the team with three 20+ point games and four double-doubles.
• Registered her double-doubles against Bryant (19pts/13rebs), Villanova (16pts/10rebs), Butler (12pts/11rebs) and UConn (11pts/11rebs).
• Notched 20 double-digit scoring games and five double-digit rebounding games.
• Scored in double-figures during the final seven games of the season.
• Scored a season-high 25 points against Boston College (Nov. 20) on 10-16 shooting from the field and added six rebounds and four assists.
• Hauled in a season-high 17 rebounds against Weber State (Nov. 26) during the Friar Thanksgiving Classic and added eight points and five assists.
• Scored her 1,000th career point in the season opener vs. Dayton (Nov. 7) and became the 37th player in program history to reach the milestone.
• Finished her career ranked 12th all-time in scoring at Providence with 1,353 career points.
• Also completed career ranked fifth all-time at Providence in career assists (449) and 13th in rebounding (725).
• Named Most Outstanding Player at the Friar Thanksgiving Classic after averaging 11.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in a 3-0 week for Providence.
• Two-time BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll selection on Nov. 21 and Nov. 28.
• Preseason All-BIG EAST selection.

2021-22 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
• Played 29 games and appeared in the starting line-up each time.
• Averaged a team-best 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
• Finished second on the team in blocked shots (1.1 bpg) and third steals (1.4 spg).
• Recorded three 20+ point games, including a career-high 27 points against UConn Jan. 30. She shot 8-11 from the field, including 3-4 from beyond the arc, and converted 8-10 opportunities at the free-throw line.
• Also scored 20+ points against Hartford (25) on Dec. 1 and Quinnipiac (24) on Dec. 11.
• Led the team in double-digit scoring games (24) and double-doubles (six).
• Recorded double-digit rebounds in nine games, including two games with 15+ boards.
• Notched a career-high 19 rebounds at Maine (Nov. 13) and added 18 points, five assists, four blocked shots and two steals.
• Paced the Friars in scoring during 14 of the 29 games she played. Also led the team in rebounding during 10 games.
• Dished a season-best nine assists against Boston College (Nov. 20) and dished 5+ assists in 11 games overall.
• For her career, she owns 986 points, 504 rebounds, 338 assists, 124 steals and 94 blocked shots.
• With one season of eligibility remaining (2022-23), is one pace to become the 37th player in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point milestone.
• Ranked in a tie for 11th place on the Friars’ all-time career assist list (338), joining Chrissy Vozab ‘02, who dished 338 assists for PC from 1998-2002.
• A three-time selection to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (11/15/21, 12/13/31, 1/31/22).
• All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention selection.

BEFORE PROVIDENCE:
• Spent first two seasons of her college career at Ohio State (2018-20), before transferring to Michigan State (2020-21).
• Appeared in 22 games and averaged 5.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game for the Spartans.
• Played 83 games and appeared in the starting line-up 41 times in two seasons with the Buckeyes.
• Averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 47.3-percent from the floor (235-497).
• Attended high school at St. Andrew’s (Barrington, R.I.).
• A four-star recruit and ranked No. 36 in the 2018 class by Prospect Nation.
• Named to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Rhode Island Girls Basketball Team Player of the Year as a senior.
• Averaged 12.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game as a senior.
• A four-time New England All-Star.
• First female to have her number retired at St. Andrew’s.

HONORS / AWARDS
• Preseason All-BIG EAST (2022-23)
• All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention (2022)
• 5x – BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (11/15/21, 12/13/31, 1/31/22, 11/21/22, 11/28/22)

PERSONAL
• Daughter of John Crooms and Lisa Robertson
• Is the cousin of Providence College men’s basketball Head Coach Ed Cooley
• Social science major

Clicks from Janai’s career: