KU's Scholar Athlete

At Dunbar, Brooke Is the Center of Attention

Scholar-athlete-1Brooke Todd

• School: Dunbar High
• Grade: 12
• Sports: Basketball
• Academics: Brooke has a 4.82 weighted GPA, scored 30 on the ACT and has taken six A.P. classes.
• Parents: Renee & Greg

So you think playing basketball for her father at Transylvania University was a done deal for Dunbar High star Brooke Todd? Not so fast.

“Up through middle school, I wasn’t sure Brooke would even play high school ball,” Coach Greg Todd said.

That’s because Brooke was a girl of many interests. “Well-balanced,” her dad said.

A straight-A student, Brooke played the flute and piano, danced with the Lexington Parks and Recreation Kiddie Kapers program, played volleyball and swam every summer.

She also attended her father’s basketball games, first at Berea High, his alma mater where he is still the all- time leader in scoring and rebounding. The head coach, Greg led the Berea girls to the state tournament in 1998.

He then coached Lexington Catholic for seven seasons, winning three state titles before taking the job at Transylvania in 2006.

Before entering high school, Brooke had been to seven state tournaments as a fan. And it wasn’t until high school that Brooke emerged as a serious basketball player.

She made the varsity as a freshman and started as a sophomore when Dunbar advanced to the State Tournament Final Four, where she was named to the all-tournament team.

That season, Brooke, a 6-foot-2 post player, broke the Dunbar school record for blocks in a single game (11) and a season (86).

As a junior, she made the All-Region team and broke her block records (single game, 12; season 104).

As a senior, Brooke has led Dunbar to 22-5 record, averaging 13.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 6.2 blocks. She has had four triple-doubles and set new block records (single game, 13; season and career, 161 and 356 and counting).

“Brooke has improved every year in high school and it has all come from her,” Greg said. “She moves well, is good defensively and rebounds well.”

He also loves her attitude.

“She had a sub-par game in a win over Lafayette and she was happy,” Greg said. “She was the best player on the court in the re-match and Dunbar lost and she was disappointed.”

No wonder he wanted her at Transylvania. Other coaches had the same idea.

“At first, I was against going to Transylvania,” Brooke said. “But I visited and liked all the people. I can be a real student-athlete at Transylvania.”

Academics are important to Brooke. She has a 4.82 weighted GPA, scored 30 on the ACT, and enjoys math and science. She will study physical therapy.

But first, she’d like just one more trip to the State Tournament.

With Brooke in the middle blocking shots, don’t bet against Dunbar.

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