By Robert Wilson
Coach Vic Schaefer brought in high school All-American players like Victoria Vivians to bring Mississippi State women’s basketball program to new heights, being the national runners-up two consecutive seasons during his successful eight years in Starkville.
Schaefer, now at the University of Texas, got a commitment from another high school All-American from Mississippi Wednesday.
Germantown High senior Madison Booker – a starter on two consecutive USA national teams and rated the No. 3 player in the country in the Class of 2023 – announced she will play college basketball with Texas and Schaefer Wednesday.
Booker – who was choosing between Texas, Duke, and Tennessee – reached into a question box and picked out a Texas cowboy hat and flashed the hook’em horns sign with both hands before a crowd of her family, teammates, and students at the Germantown cafeteria.
“I decided on Texas because I trust Coach Schaefer to help develop me into the best player I can be and also help get to the next level,” Booker said. “I picked Texas also because Coach Schaefer knows how to win.”
Schaefer has led Texas to back-to-back NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearances in his first two seasons in Austin. Texas won the Big 12 Tournament championship and finished ranked No. 6 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. Schaefer was named the national coach of the year in 2018 and 2022. Texas will be joining the SEC for the 2025-2026 season.
“I am so excited about Maddie’s decision,” Germantown coach Jamie Glasgow said. “I think the Texas program and coaching staff will be a great fit for her, I’m not ready for Maddie to leave us, but I can’t wait to see her play for Texas. I’ve always enjoyed speaking with Coach Schaefer. He is a great coach and always very professional. He seems to really care about his players and knows how to get the most out of them. I’m excited that Maddie will get to play for him.”
Booker is expected to sign in November during the NCAA early signing period.
The 6-foot-1 Booker is one of the best high school players in Mississippi history. She started every game and helped Team USA win the gold medal for the past two years on the 16-and-under and 17-and-under teams. Booker has been the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Player of the Year for the past two seasons as a sophomore and junior. She was the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year as a sophomore.
Booker is rated No. 3 in the country in the Class of 2023 by Blue Star Basketball.
Booker averaged 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals and led Germantown to a 24-7 record and a second straight Girls State Tournament appearance last season as a junior.
Booker – whose father, Carlos, was a 6-10 center for Southern Miss in the 1990s – has made official visits to Duke, Tennessee and Texas. Recruited by the majority of the best programs in the country, Booker narrowed her college choices down to nine schools – Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Connecticut, Duke, Florida State, Louisville, Oregon, and Texas – in September a year ago.
When the game is on the line, Booker can take over. One of the best examples last season was in the Class 6A quarterfinals with Germantown’s season in the balance at Tupelo. She scored 14 of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead Germantown to a 62-54 victory. Booker made two 3-pointers – one from about 24 feet left of the top of the key with a defender all over her – a pair of two-pointers, one of those on an offensive rebound and another on a drive to the basket, and four of four shots from the free throw line late in the game for her 15 points in the fourth quarter. Booker also finished with 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots to help Germantown rally from a 42-40 deficit after three quarters.
And then was Germantown’s big game with 6A contender Brandon last season. Glasgow challenged her team to bring some intensity to the game and they did, especially Booker. With assistant coaches from University of Connecticut and University of Tennessee watching, Booker had 16 points and five rebounds and led Germantown to a convincing, 53-32 victory at Brandon, breaking Brandon’s 11-game winning streak. Booker also limited one of Brandon’s top scorers, senior guard Marley Freeman, to only seven points.
Booker averaged 18.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocked shots and led Germantown to a 13-4 record and the MHSAA Class 6A runner-up finish as a sophomore. She was first team on the All-Metro Jackson team as a freshman and sophomore.
