Centennial High’s Brocke changes women’s basketball commitment to Colorado State

Centennial High senior Lauren Brocke thought she had her college future figured out when she signed in November to play women’s basketball at Wichita State.

But when Shockers head coach Jody Adams-Birch left the program in late January, Brocke began to second-guess her decision.

On Friday, Brocke announced on Twitter that she was changing her commitment and instead accepting a full-ride scholarship to Colorado State.

Brocke said after the news of Adams-Birch’s departure, she had lengthy conversations with interim coach Linda Hargrove and Wichita State Athletic Director Darron Boatright.

The Shockers agreed to grant Brocke a full release from her letter of intent, allowing her to explore other opportunities.

“They were great throughout the whole process, and I am very thankful for everything that they gave me, but I thought it was best for me to look for new opportunities,” Brocke said. “They were very gracious in the way that they let me do that.”

The turmoil didn’t come at the best time for Brocke, who was in the midst of her senior season with the Patriots.

The 6-foot-3 wing managed to juggle Centennial’s championship run at the same time she was weighing her future. Brocke averaged 9.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game and was voted to the 5A All-Idaho second team.

Brocke visited the Rams’ campus in Fort Collins, Colo., earlier this week, and also made an official visit to Utah Valley. She had visits planned for Idaho and Weber State but decided Friday she couldn’t turn down the Rams.

“I got back last night (from Fort Collins),” Brocke said. “It was a quick turnaround, but sometimes you just have to jump on these things.”

Colorado State plays in the Mountain West along with Boise State, which was another draw, Brocke said.

“My family is very excited about that, too,” Brocke said. “That’s always nice to be able to come home and play.”

See a list of Treasure Valley signings/commitments here.

This story was originally published March 31, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Centennial High’s Brocke changes women’s basketball commitment to Colorado State."