Corsica-Stickney's Avery Broughton lifts heavy recruiting burden with commitment to South Dakota

Jun. 16—CORSICA — Avery Broughton had two years to decide where she wanted to play college basketball.

But she was ready now.

The 6-foot Corsica-Stickney junior-to-be announced her commitment to the University of South Dakota Wednesday, something she feels will allow her to focus on finishing her final two seasons of high school basketball without questions of a decision looming.

Broughton visited South Dakota and its staff Monday and had already been leaning toward a commitment beforehand. Once she visited and spoke directly with the coaches and players, Broughton felt at home.

She enters her final two seasons as Corsica-Stickney's all-time leading scorer (1,429 points) despite missing the second-half of her sophomore campaign due to a knee injury, and will join a USD program that has won the Summit League regular season title in four of the last six seasons and back-to-back conference tournaments.

"It just felt right to get it off my chest and focus on the rest of my high school career," Broughton said. "... For the last couple months I've been leaning toward USD. I just wanted to get it done and get it out there so I could focus on rehab and get back to basketball."

I'm extremely excited to announce that I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of South Dakota! Go yotes!❤️ pic.twitter.com/gJoUuabL5H

— Avery Broughton (@AveryBroughton1) June 16, 2021

Broughton, a two-time Class B first-team all-state selection, received interest from 10 schools and scholarship offers from five. Staying in South Dakota was crucial during the recruitment process, as the family joked she would only choose an out-of-state school if it were South Carolina or Notre Dame, the preferred college team to watch in the Broughton household.

However, she said South Dakota State would have been her second choice, while Dakota Wesleyan University was also in the mix as both her parents and older brother Preston are alumni.

Upon visiting Vermillion and USD coach Dawn Plitzuweit's program, she discovered the tight-knit nature of the Coyotes offered a familiar feeling. Corsica-Stickney coached by Broughton's mother, Lorisa, and her father, Jason, serves as an assistant coach.

"I got to visit a lot of the girls and feel what their culture was and I fell in love with it," Broughton said. "They had a fun environment and it felt like a really close family and that's something I really loved. That's what we have at Corsica-Stickney and it drew me in right away."

Questions and speculation about Broughton's college destination became common, particularly after her injury, but she said none interest never waned from coaches. During the last six months, however, the idea of making a decision began to weigh heavily.

Suffering a major injury that wiped out half the season and the difficult rehabilitation process were exasperated by constant questions about her future. She also had some anxiety about upsetting friends or family who had allegiances to USD and SDSU.

"I think a burden has been lifted. It's a little lighter around here," Lorisa Broughton said. "Around this area you're either red or blue. I'm like, 'Avery, you're not going to upset anybody.' Rivalries are just something people do. They're not going to dislike you because of where you go. She's a big pleaser and she had to do what's right for her. That was a big burden."

Broughton wants her attention focused on delivering a state championship to Corsica-Stickney after reaching the Class B semifinals three consecutive seasons without a trip to the finals, including an unbeaten season that ended after the 2020 state quarterfinals due to COVID-19.

"The recruiting process was fun, but I was just ready to be done, say where I want to go and focus on the last two years I have at Corsica-Stickney," Broughton said. "I still have goals I want to finish here before anything else."