Wisconsin welcomes three newcomers in 2021 signing class
November 11, 2020 | Women's Basketball
MADISON, Wis. – Head coach Jonathan Tsipis announced Wednesday that three high school seniors have all signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of Wisconsin and play basketball for the Badgers beginning in the fall of 2021.
The signees include Wisconsin native Maty Wilke, a 5-foot-10 guard from Beaver Dam; Sacia Vanderpool, a 6-foot-4 forward from Byron, Minnesota; and Krystyna Ellew, a 5-foot-10 guard from Chicago, Illinois.
Beaver Dam basketball star is a homegrown Badger
To the delight of Badger fans everywhere, Maty Wilke is staying home. A three-time First-team all-conference selection, as a junior, Wilke was named the 2020 Conference Player of the Year. That year she averaged 16.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.6 steals per game.
Under coach Tim Chase, Wilke led the Golden Beavers to three Division 2 state tournaments, including two state championships (the third was canceled this past season due to COVID-19). She received All-State First Team unanimous honors in 2020.
Wilke also played for the North Tartan EYBL AAU program led by coach Gerard Coury and Bill Larson.
Off the court, Wilke is a three-sport athlete playing softball and golf, and she is a member of the National Honor Society. Wilke intends to study Psychology or Kinesiology.
Coach Tsipis on Wilke: "Maty is one of the most complete guards in the country. She sees the floor extremely well, shoots it from deep and always makes those around her better. She has won at the highest levels of competition in both high school and nationally in AAU. Maty is a winner who is staying home and bringing that mentality to our program. We have known Maty and her family since she was in 8th grade and she is a student-athlete who girls look up to and want to play with in the future. We are excited to welcome Maty and the entire Wilke family to our Badger family!"
HOMEGROWN 👏 BADGER 👏
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerWBB) November 11, 2020
Welcome to the family, @MatyWilke! 🦡❤️#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/VlwvKCjp3T
Versatile Byron post player is bound for the Badgers
From Byron, Minnesota, Sacia Vanderpool is a 6-foot-4 versatile forward for Byron High School.
Vanderpool had a breakout junior season, during which she averaged 15.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and three blocks per game. She also showed off her versatility by shooting an impressive 44 percent behind the arc, 55 percent from the field, and 80 percent from the free-throw line.
Under coach Jeremy Baumbach, Vanderpool is a four-time varsity letter winner and led the Bears to their first state appearance in 2018. Her versatility has garnered her numerous accolades, including being named team MVP (2019-20), all-conference her junior year and all-conference honorable mention as a sophomore. Also, Vanderpool set an impressive school record for most blocks in a single game with 13.
Vanderpool competed for the FBC The North AAU program, led by coach Tyler Coley.
Off the court, she is a four-time academic letter winner and a member of both the student council and the National Honor Society. Vanderpool intends on majoring in Exercise Science.
Coach Tsipis on Vanderpool: "Sacia is a versatile post player who brings a great frame and skill set to our program. Sacia has really improved her offensive skill set, extending her range and her efficiency. She is a tenacious rebounder who will bring a strong presence in the paint with her shot blocking abilities. She comes from a long line of Badgers and has grown up in Badger Red, so we are happy to welcome Sacia and the Vanderpool family to Madison!"
Officially official. ✍️❤️🦡
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerWBB) November 11, 2020
Welcome to the Badger family, @sacialynn!! #NationalSigningDay #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/3bIOxcKHAs
High-scoring Ellew ready to compete for the Badgers
In just three seasons, Krystyna Ellew is already the all-time leading scorer (1,758 pts) for coach Iveta Salkauske at Taft High School. She was named to both the all-conference and the Chicago All-City teams three times (2017, 2018 and 2019). Ellew averaged 20+ points per game throughout her career and 8+ rebounds, recording a career-high 20 rebounds in a single game vs. Niles North at the Riverside Brookfield Holiday Tournament.
She set an impressive single-game record of 58 pts on 25 FG for the Eagles vs. conference rival Lane Tech in 2019. A consistent free-throw shooter, the 5-10 guard shot 88 percent from behind the line over her career and recorded 33 consecutive made FTs. She was named All-State Third-Team in 2019 and 2018, All-State honorable mention in 2017 and represented the region at the Downstate Three-Point Championship in 2019 and 2017.
Ellew played for the Lady Lightning AAU program under coach Mike Seberger, which is the same program that current freshman Brooke Schramek played with. She intends to study Sports Medicine.
Coach Tsipis on Ellew: "Krystyna is a dynamic scoring guard who continues to add to her game offensively. She can create her own shot in both transition and in the half court. Krystyna brings a competitive fire to our perimeter group as she also excels on the defensive end with quick hands and a nose for the ball. Competing at a high level in AAU, she is prepared to impact our program and compete on a daily basis."
🗣️"ELLEW, FOR THREE!" is about to be common in the Kohl Center. 😏
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerWBB) November 11, 2020
Welcome to the family, @KrystynaEllew! 🤗🦡 #OnWisconsin #NationalSigningDay pic.twitter.com/WmoArBnXXN
"Our 2021 signing class includes three student-athletes that excel on the court and in the classroom. We wanted to continue to add versatile players who can play several positions on the perimeter but also can make plays for others as well as themselves. Maty Wilke and Krystyna Ellew complement each other with their high-level ability to score in a variety of ways. In the post, we were fortunate to have Sacia Vanderpool sign with our program. Sacia brings a toughness and physicality blended with her versatile post game. She will complement our current freshmen post players Kate Thompson and Lovisa Djurdström. Our staff did an amazing job during unprecedented times to bring these special players into our program. As our recruiting coordinator, Kayla Karius is doing an outstanding job in overseeing the work behind the scenes in recruiting. We welcome Maty, Krystyna and Sacia to our Badger basketball family." - Head Coach, Jonathan Tsipis
