HIGHLANDS RANCH — Jenessa Burke loves basketball. But she doesn’t overly love it.
The game has been good to the girl from Aurora, who plays for Highlands Ranch, and she has been good to the game. Her play has attracted attention, and she has been an intricate part of the fabulous Falcons, who have won the past three Class 5A Colorado championships, six since 2000.
But some time later this season will be Burke’s bye-bye to organized basketball.
Never mind the 5-foot-9 senior gave an oral commitment to the University of Denver in August. Over the past few months, Burke, who also pulled back on summer play, secretly decided not to pursue a career as a Pioneer and will instead be only a student at a college to be named later.
“I didn’t want to deal with everyone else’s opinion,” she said. “Obviously, they would pressure me.”
And she understands — here was a chance to enjoy playing Division I locally in front of friends and family, and have the opportunity to get what is widely considered to be a big-league education . . . and all of it for free. Remember, DU is like so many other colleges that come with what appears to be a sign-your-life-away tuition bill, and Burke isn’t sitting on a pile of Monopoly money.
It was as if she could foresee the less fortunate souls lining up to give her a stern talking-to about being out of her mind.
“I know,” Burke said. “It’s just something I knew in my heart I didn’t want to do . . . I definitely see it as a big compliment that they want me to go play for that much money. I’m not taking any of it for granted. I’m thankful, but at the same time I want to do something I love more than basketball, academics, that’s why you go to school for a long time. It’s a key to success. I just want to spend more time on academics.”
She appreciates the irony — there are thousands who probably would do just about anything for an athletic scholarship at a college like DU. All Burke had to do was give her autograph to the Pioneers early last November and it would have occurred.
The recruiting process was a highlight and she enjoyed the attention, but worried how her family would react, particularly her mother. But Burke took a stand and isn’t moving.
“The reason I knew I couldn’t play (in college) is, I’m not dedicated to practice every day, I don’t have interest in any of that,” she said.
Burke realizes she is being branded as lazy, perhaps even a quitter in others’ eyes, “but it just hasn’t been my passion.”
It had been difficult to tell. The past March, the Falcons, scrambling in the final moments against Regis in the big-school finale in Boulder, were moving the ball around the perimeter. It found its way to Burke, Highlands Ranch’s first player off the bench, alone at the top of the key. She calmly drained a 3-pointer that sealed the title.
In addition, she went off for a career-high 35 points against Monarch, a rare total in the glorious reign of Falcons coach Caryn Jarocki.
Burke may be relegating herself to dominating pickup games at a recreation center, but vows to give Highlands Ranch her best.
“Definitely,” she said. “My goal is to go out with a bang. I plan to play hard every game. I realize this is my last year, so it has meaning, and it has been fun so far.”
The numbers are good — Highlands Ranch (7-2, both losses out of state) is No. 1 in The Denver Post/9News 5A poll. Burke has a 3.7 grade-point average. She has been applying to colleges and claims to be at peace.
“I’m happy with my decision,” Burke said. “Of course, I understand there might be some consequences, like financially, but I’d rather take those risks. I feel I’d be miserable if I was playing on a serious level. I take full responsibility for all consequences.”
