Kami Winger came to UND four years ago as a homegrown, backyard player who received little recruiting attention outside of the state. The 6-2 center, however, enticed the Sioux with her raw potential.
Despite their different backgrounds, Crouse and Winger both exceeded expectations. The two -- over the past four seasons -- led the Sioux women's basketball team to unparalleled success.
Crouse, the career scoring leader at UND, and Winger, who scored more than 1,000 points in a reserve role, both played major roles in the last two national Division II championship seasons. They're hoping for a third national title this week, when the Sioux play in the Elite Eight tournament.
Shattering UND and North Central Conference scoring, rebounding, shooting and shot-blocking records, Crouse has received lots of attention the past four years. As a reserve, Winger has put together impressive statistics without the same fanfare.
But Sioux coach Gene Roebuck knows the Sioux wouldn't have won either national title without Crouse or Winger, who have combined for more than 2,000 rebounds during their careers.
"To be successful, you have to have a good low-post player and you have to be good at point guard," Roebuck said. "We've been fortunate to have quality players at those positions since I've been here. With Kami and Jenny, you can have one of those quality players on the floor for 40 minutes. Other teams don't have that. I easily rate Jenny and Kami as two of the top players in the league at their position."
Crouse, last year's Division II national player of the year, enters the Elite Eight with impressive numbers. She leads the team in scoring (18.7 ppg) and rebounding (9.9 rpg). Winger is fourth in scoring (12.0) and second in rebounding (9.3). Both average 23 minutes per game, meaning they're on the court at the same time in most games.
The fact that Winger started only a handful of games doesn't bother the former Midway High School player.
"It really doesn't matter," said Winger, who turned in perhaps her best game of her career (12 points, 17 rebounds) in UND's 83-60 win over North Dakota State in the North Central Region final. "It's all about the team. It's not an individual sport.
"It doesn't matter if I come off the bench and play 20 minutes or start and play 20 minutes. It's all the same."
Crouse and Winger have developed a strong friendship despite playing the same position. "It's a good partnership we have," Winger said.
The fact that the two post players have been close on and off the court hasn't gone unnoticed by Roebuck.
"That's why they're successful," Roebuck said. "They're competitive and competitive against each other in practice. But they are for each other and have developed a special bond. In other situations, there may have been some animosity about (the lack of) playing time.
"Kami has made sacrifices by not starting. But I've never heard her say anything negative about it. Most players would be unable to handle that, but it takes a special player to handle that situation. Everyone, however, knows how good Kami is and the value she brings to the program."
For the first three years, the two rarely were on the court at the same time. That's changed this season. Often, they are on the floor together, presenting monster matchup problems for opponents.
"It's been one of my great experiences here," Crouse said of playing together with Winger. "I've seen how much she's improved and how much she's helped me with my game. Kami is the toughest player I have to go against because of her athletic ability.
"As we've gotten older, we've been able to play more together. And that's fun. It also relieves the pressure on myself."
Both are true post players, but they play differently.
Crouse dominates opponents with her ability to post up, catch the ball in traffic and score with a soft shooting touch. Winger uses her amazing leaping ability to rebound and score. She's not as smooth as Crouse, but she's as effective.
Winger, an all-North Central Conference selection this season, can be just as dominant. The latest example of that came against the Bison in the region final.
Crouse said Winger may play her best against UND's biggest rival.
"She comes from North Dakota, and she's spent her whole life around that rivalry," Crouse said. "When it comes to those games, she has an edge about her."
And the Sioux have an edge with Crouse, too, which has given UND a major advantage at center the past four seasons.