As a junior, the UND center received the Rawlings Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division II Player of the Year award as the 6-foot-3 center led the Sioux to their second straight national title.
"That put a target on my back," said Crouse, UND's career scoring leader.
The target was there, but once again no opponent managed to bring down Crouse.
For the second straight year, Crouse has been named the Rawlings WBCA Division II Player of the Year. The announcement of the award came Wednesday night at the Elite Eight tournament banquet at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
"It was kind of unexpected," Crouse said of the award. "I think it's extremely hard to win it two years in a row."
It was harder for Crouse to repeat because of last season's success and the expectations she faced this season.
"I had to work harder than any year I've played," Crouse said. "I faced a lot more double teams."
She also faced a lot more holding from opponents and other forms of rough play.
Still, Crouse's statistics from her junior season improved. The senior is averaging 18.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game as UND prepares for today's Elite Eight opener against Kennesaw State of Georgia. Last season, Crouse averaged 18.1 points and 9.1 rebounds.
However, it took the All-America player a while to get her game in high gear this season.
"In my first few games, I didn't have the mental approach that I was the national player of the year and that people wanted to stop me," Crouse said. "I didn't prepare myself like I should have for the double teams and the clutching and grabbing that went on.
"Coach (Gene Roebuck) took me aside and said I had to deal with it. From then on, my approach was that I had to be mentally tough and accept things."
And Crouse never looked back. She dominated play in the North Central Conference, becoming the league's career scoring leader in the process.
"Jenny became more aggressive this year and meaner, so to speak," hopes to take UND out of its successful transition game.
Roebuck said once the NCC season began, Crouse picked up her play. "It's hard to get through the (nonconference) season," Roebuck said. "It's not the same level of competition. But Jenny did a good job of battling."
Crouse will receive her player of the year award later this month in San Jose, Calif.