Three years ago, former Free State High basketball standout Brett Frantz entered Neosho Community College with a goal of earning a scholarship offer from a Div. I program.

Last week he picked up his first offer, and he signed his letter of intent to play for Youngstown State University in Ohio on Monday. He will have two years of eligibility with the Penguins.

Frantz wasn’t the only former FSHS basketball player to commit to a Div. I school this month. Khadre Lane, who also played for two years at Bishop Seabury Academy, committed to Campbell University in North Carolina.

“I’m very excited,” Frantz said. “I went down on a visit this past week, and I really liked the school, and I really liked the coaching staff. There’s a guy I know already at the school, and there’s another guy from Neosho County, who plays baseball and is going there next year. So I think it’s going to be a good fit.”

Frantz, a 6-foot-3, guard, averaged 14.2 points last season at Neosho, his third year at the school and one he nearly decided not to play in.

He graduated after his second year, but still had a year of eligibility at Neosho because he took a medical red shirt during his first year after sustaining facial fractures from an elbow at practice. After talking with his parents and his coach, Jerry Coombs, Frantz decided to return, hoping it would lead to a Div. I school.

“I sat down with my parents and talked about pros and cons, I guess, of going back,” said Frantz, who plans to major in business management. “I ended up just deciding to do it. I was happy with my choice, and it worked out.”

Frantz averaged 13.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists during his senior year at Free State, shooting 37 percent from behind the three-point arc.

“I think I’ve improved my game lot,” said Frantz, who picked Youngstown over Fort Hays State and UMKC. “One of my best things is shooting, and I think I’ve gotten a lot better at shooting since Free State. But I can also go off the dribble more, and I’m just a smarter overall player. I’ve gotten bigger and stronger.

“I’m just really excited and looking forward to going down there.”