LF_011019

28 | January 10, 2019 | The lake forest leader SPORTS
LakeForestLeader.com
Douglass maintains focus amid 15 college offers
Brittany Kapa
Freelance Reporter
Halle Douglass isn’t
rushing her decision on
where to play college basketball.
The Lake Forest High
School 6-foot-2 junior
point guard is maneuvering
through college offers
like she maneuvers
through opposing defenses,
and while she said the
attention is flattering, the
offers are not her focus.
Helping her team win is
the top priority.
Rather than whittling
down the vast list of offers,
Douglass is more concerned
with playing her
game, developing her shot
and being a contributing
member on the court for
the Scouts — and that has
worked out quite well for
LFHS, which is riding a
nine-game winning streak
as of press time (Monday,
Jan. 7).
And thankfully, the recruitment
process has not
been taxing on the Lake
Forest native either.
“It’s not something that
I feel pressured by right
now, because there are so
many great schools out
there, and it’s a huge commitment,”
Douglass said.
“I just want to find what’s
best for me, and I don’t
want to have to rush into
anything.”
Douglass played travel
soccer growing up, but
basketball was always a
huge part of her family
life.
Her father, Bill Douglass,
was a point guard
at the University of Wisconsin
from 1988-92 and
has played a key role in
his daughter’s love of the
game.
“It was around sixth or
seventh grade when I started
focusing on basketball,”
she said. “I played basketball
my whole life. I grew
up in a basketball family;
everyone played it.”
It wasn’t until the summer
before her sophomore
year that Douglass realized
she wanted to play college
ball, and it wasn’t long after
that when her first offer
came in.
Then, the floodgates
opened.
In total, she has offers
from 15 schools, including
the Big Ten’s University
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
and other Division-I
college programs like the
University of St. Louis,
University of Minnesota
and Brown University.
“It wasn’t really intimidating,
because I just really
didn’t know what to think
in a way,” she said about the
influx of offers. “It was just
something that was happening.
I was just playing basketball
and having fun.”
Since then, Douglass
has visited college campuses
across the nation,
including her father’s alma
mater in Madison.
The visits are fun, of
course, and a useful tool in
helping her figure out what
she’s looking for before
committing to a program.
“Every time I get a different
feel, and I get to
see a different school, different
program, different
coaches and just see how
every school is,” she said.
Douglass’ size, versatility
and play-making ability
make her a matchup
nightmare for opposing
defenses.
The Scouts junior can
play inside and outside,
run the break, facilitate the
offense and defend against
Douglass looks for an open teammate during her
sophomore season, after which many collegiate offers
came to her door.
most opponents.
A common stat line for
Douglass looks like this
one from a recent win over
Quincy: 17 points, 6 rebounds,
4 assists, 4 steals
and 5 blocks.
Add all that up, and
Douglass makes for a desirable
asset for any college
program, said Lake
Forest coach Kyle Wilhelm
said.
“In my opinion, I
haven’t seen a better point
guard around,” he added.
“Her ability to get to the
free-throw line early is a
testament to the fact that
she is hard to guard. She
can get by people, she can
hit a pull up, and they foul
her because they can’t stop
her. Those kinds of attributes
are still going to
translate well at the next
level.”
All of these traits, and
her dedication in the gym
to improving her shot, has
quickly made Douglass a
sought-after talent.
LFHS junior Halle Douglass posts up against a Stevenson
defender in a game earlier this season. 22nd
Century Media File Photos
According to Prospects
Nation, she is a four-star
recruit currently ranked
15th in the nation at her
position and 53rd overall
for the 2020 class.
Douglass recently broke
the Lake Forest assist record
of 391, previously
held by former LFHS star
Delaney Williams.
“It’s been a joy to work
with her and I’m really,
really happy that I get her
on my team and not have
to scout against her,” Wilhelm
said.
Numerous campus visits
aside, Douglass remains
focused on her season
goals with the Scouts rather
than making a decision
on where to commit; however,
she has gained valuable
inspiration from the
recruitment experience.
“It’s inspired me to work
harder,” she said. “I see
how everyone works really
hard, and everyone puts in
a lot of time so I know I
have to do the same.”