a high-IQ, floor-spacing forward who gave New Mexico State reliable two-way value
Kelsey Crooks stood out for New Mexico State in the 2003-04 season as a versatile forward who averaged 8.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, while also hitting 41.0% from three and 41.9% overall—rare combo juice for a frontcourt player.[1][2] He wasn’t just a box-score guy: the stat sheet shows real connective-playmaking and spacing, and reports from the era repeatedly feature him as a timely shot-maker in close games, the kind of player who raises a team’s basketball IQ and fit without needing the offense built around him.[6][11]
