Jordan
junior Leah Dietel has made a decision about her future.

Dietel committed to play basketball for the South Dakota State
University Jackrabbits in Brookings, S. D.

“I really liked the coaches a lot, and they have a great group
of girls,” she said.

She is the first Jordan
girls basketball player to commit to a Division I school since Mandy Holzer
committed to the University of Akron
in 2002-2003. Fellow junior Brittany Chambers is also being heavily recruited
by many Division I basketball programs.

SDSU moved up to Division I athletics six years ago and has been
quite successful.

 Because they moved up to
Division I, the Jackrabbits haven’t been eligible for NCAA postseason play.
(They will be eligible in 2008-2009).

That hasn’t stopped the program from improving. Each of the last
two years, SDSU has qualified for the Women’s NIT – making it to the Elite
Eight two years ago.

The Jackrabbits have beaten teams from the major conferences
like Oregon, Missouri,
Virginia, Colorado,
Alabama, Indiana,
and Minnesota.

“The program is doing well right now, and the fan support is
unbelievable,” Dietel said.

Dietel and her family traveled to Brookings in March to watch
the Jackrabbits play their first-round WNIT game against Creighton.

SDSU lost, but Dietel was sold.

“After that, I just kind of knew that was the school,” she said.
“I really liked it and was ready to make a decision.”

She picked SDSU over the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay,
Colorado State, and Drake.

The recruiting process began on Sept. 1, 2007, when schools
where eligible to start contacting recruits with mailings. Dietel said after
Sept. 1 her family’s mailbox and her e-mail have been full.

On April 10, coaches can begin to call recruits, and at 12:01
a.m. Dietel’s phone rang off the hook.

“That was a crazy night,” she said.

Dietel said she believes she will play small forward and power
forward for SDSU instead of playing center like she does for Jordan.

With that in mind, she is working on he ballhandling and outside
shooting to get ready for the transition.

Dietel is starring for the Jordan track team, competing in
Junior Olympic volleyball, and playing AAU basketball.