15th
She is 17, a high school senior, among the better girls’ high school basketball players in the country. One year ago, her future - at least the next few years of it - seemed nicely paved. She had verbally committed to play basketball at Duke University, an elite program, a fine school for a National Honor Society student. It was, simply, a dream year. She got notes and calls from Duke coaches. They sent a team Christmas card, a Father’s Day card. She felt she was part of the Duke family. But then, in October - just a month before high school players can sign a letter of intent that binds them to a school - those same coaches told her she wouldn’t be happy at Duke. The team would honor the scholarship they had offered, but she likely wouldn’t play.
