MINDEN — Minden’s Brooke and Jamie Kissinger accomplished another milestone feat together on a basketball court Tuesday.
That feat, however, made it official that they’ll be heading down their own paths. The Kissinger twins made their Division 1 basketball dreams a reality on Tuesday afternoon at CL Jones Gym when they signed their letters of intent.
Brooke, who currently ranks No. 2 in Nebraska High School history with 273 career three-pointers, will continue her career at the University of Illinois in 2014-15. Her twin sister, Jamie, will be 2,000 miles away next fall when she enrolls at the University of San Diego on a basketball scholarship.
“It’ll be weird...bittersweet,” Jamie Kissinger said about playing apart from Brooke.
The duo has been playing together since second grade. They’ve led Minden to three straight state appearances while earning Hub Territory All-Region honors all three seasons.
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For Brooke, the decision came down to Creighton and Illinois. Growing up watching Big Ten basketball, she said, pushed Illinois over the top.
“I really wanted to play Big Ten ball,” she said. “That was my dream.”
Jamie’s final two choices were a bit more geographically spread out. Her decision to enroll at San Diego over Princeton stemmed from a connection she made with a former Husker.
San Diego assistant coach Ashley Ford played her AAU ball with the Cornhusker Shooting Stars, which is the team all three Kissingers play for. Jamie said any concerns she had about making the move to unchartered territory were eased by Ford.
“She was definitely the one that started recruiting me,” Jamie said of Ford. “She recruited me throughout the whole process. I talked to the other coaches, too but I talked to her the most. She just made me feel that all the other coaches would be very supportive.
“That’s what I’m used to with every program I’ve ever been in whether it’s high school or CSS. I just wanted to continue that.”
Jamie, who averaged 15.8 points and 7.9 rebounds last season, said she plans on playing right away for San Diego. Brooke, on the other hand, hasn’t ruled out the possibility of redshirting as a freshman to get stronger.
But before the Kissinger’s make their collegiate mark, they’ll look to add another notch to their storied high school careers.
They both verbally committed to their respective schools after their junior seasons. The goal was simple — get their college plans decided before their senior years and turn their attention to bringing Minden its first state title.
“We definitely set our goals high and it’s easier to now be able to focus on our Minden season,” Jamie Kissinger said. “We don’t need to worry about what’s going to come in the future because we already know what we’re going to do. One focus at a time.”
But Tuesday’s focus was all about a day the Kissinger’s envisioned when they got their first recruitment letters as underclassmen. Now they can officially start looking to the future.
“It’s a blessing,” Brooke Kissinger said. “We’re excited and we’re ready for the next level.”
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