MADISON, Wis. – Head coach Jonathan Tsipis announced the signing of three athletes to the 2020 recruiting class, including two Top 100 players and the programs first ever signee from Louisiana.

The signees include Brooke Schramek, a 6-foot guard from Naperville, Illinois; Halle Douglass, a 6-foot-1 guard from Lake Forest, Illinois; and Kate Thompson, a 6-foot-2 post from Denham Springs, Louisiana.
 

Benet basketball star is Big Ten bound

Brooke Schramek and perennial power Benet Academy, have won three straight East Suburban Catholic Conference titles under coach Joe Kilbride. Schramek is a two-time all-conference selection and as a sophomore was named the 2018 Conference Player of the Year. That year she earned all-area honors averaging 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Last season, she led Benet to a fourth-place finish in the Illinois State Tournament. Schramek is ranked 81st in her class by Blue Star Report

Schramek also played for the Illinois Lady Lightning AAU program led by coach Mike Seberger.

She joins notable former Benet athletes that have attended Wisconsin: men's basketball 2015 National Player of the year Frank Kaminski and Wisconsin women's basketball alum, Jordan Wilson (2002-06).

Coach Tsipis on Schramek: "Brooke is a skilled player who will bring versatility to our team by her ability to step out and shoot the three and also by using her size to score inside. She played on a highly successful AAU team and also a strong high school team, which won Conference titles each of her three seasons thus far and earned a trip to State last season. Brooke will continue the legacy of former great Benet Academy athletes here at Wisconsin and she is a great fit for our program. We are thrilled to welcome Brooke and the Schrameks to the Badger family!"
 

One of Illinois' best players joins the Badgers

Despite being native to Illinois, Halle Douglass was born to be a Badger. Douglass' parents are both UW graduates.  Her father, Billy was a guard for the Badgers under Steve Yoder from 1988-92. 

Douglass had a breakout junior season, during which she averaged 16.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.5 blocks per game while leading Lake Forest High School to a 27-8 record and the first sectional championship in school history.

Under Coach Kyle Wilhelm, Douglass led the North Suburban Conference in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.  Her versatility has led to numerous accolades including being named the 2019 North Suburban Conference Player of the Year, Lake County News Sun Player of the Year, North Shore Player of the Year and First-Team IBCA for class 4A. She is ranked 93rd in the country by Prospect Nation and is ranked 99th by ESPNW's 2020 HoopGurlz Top 100. 

Douglass competed for the All In Elite AAU program, led by coach Matt Truding. This past June, she was selected to the Adidas AAU All American Team and had the opportunity to play internationally in Spain.

Off the court, she is a four-year member of the Honor Roll and member of the National Honors Society.

Coach Tsipis on Douglass: "Halle has several Wisconsin ties and will be following in her father's footsteps, as he suited up for the Badgers years ago. She gives us size and skill at the guard position and this past season led her high school team to new heights as they won their first sectional championship. Along with her basketball acumen, Halle's combination of strong leadership and solid work ethic will be a great addition to our team. We are thrilled that she found her new home in Madison and we're happy to welcome Halle and the Douglass family to Wisconsin!"

Thompson ready to compete for the Badgers

Kate Thompson will be the first player from Louisiana in Wisconsin women's basketball program history. She is a three-year varsity letter winner for coach Blake Zito at Denham Springs High School. Thompson was named to the 2019 All-State team and was twice named to All-District teams. Thompson averaged a double double as a junior with 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds while also leading the team in blocks. She was named Co-Offensive MVP and led her team to the Class 5A State Championship game last year.  
 
Thompson played for the Lady Flames Elite AAU program under coach Reshad Baker.

Thompson is a member of the Honor Roll and serves as a representative for the Advanced Placement Society.

Coach Tsipis on Thompson: "We are happy to welcome Kate Thompson, the first player in program history from Louisiana. Kate is a versatile post player who uses her size well inside and can also face-up and shoot. While she earned her team's Offensive MVP award, her strong work ethic also brought her to lead the team in rebounds and blocks. Kate will be a great addition to our frontcourt, bringing us more size and depth inside. We are excited to welcome Kate and the Thompson family to Wisconsin!"