Louisville Men’s Basketball picked up a big commitment from Bobby Pettiford Jr back on June 9th. However, they are still in the market for backcourt help. One G that they are particularly interested in is 2021 JUCO prospect El Ellis.
Ellis a 6’3 175 lbs PG that has attracted a ton of interest. Among the 21 scholarship offers Ellis has received, there are names such as Texas, Oregon, Texas Tech, NC State, Iowa State, UConn, and of course Louisville. He released a top 8 back on June 12th. Some of the schools above, including Louisville, made the cut. The other schools not mentioned above that made the cut were Ole Miss, NC Central, and Georgia.
𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 pic.twitter.com/QZfO1K1hEh
— 𝓔𝓵 𝓔𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓼 (@_elboogie3) June 12, 2020
While no one is quite sure the favorite, it appears that Louisville is sitting in a great spot with Ellis and has a realistic chance to land the coveted JUCO G. We will know soon enough just how good a spot Louisville is in with Ellis as he is committing tomorrow according to 247sports Evan Daniels.
Junior College standout El Ellis is making his college decision tomorrow at 2:00 ET, he tells @247Sports.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) June 23, 2020
Ellis is a PG that is score first. He uses an incredible first step to be able to blow by perimeter defenders and get to the rim. At the rim, he can finish with layups and through contact.
When dribbling, he understands how to change pace and break down defenders. Once he gets a defender on his hip, he’s turning the corner. And once he turns the corner and gets going down hill, he’s scoring at the rim or getting fouled.
Off of outlet passes, he seeks to push the pace and make the defense react. Usually, it results in Ellis scoring at the rim or dishing for a score. This is something I think Coach Chris Mack wants desperately for his guards to do.
Ellis has good court vision coupled with good passing skills. He can find open men on the wing or in the corner, when he’s driving, for open threes. If a big comes over to help, he can dump it to his C for an easy bucket.
As a shooter, Ellis really shines from behind the arc. He has NBA range, with a smooth stroke and high release. Ellis can shoot off the dribble with step-backs and shoot off ball screens. He can also catch and shoot just as well. The main attribute I think makes him a priority for Louisville is that he is tough. Contact does not faze him at all and he fights through it.
So, could this be the next 2021 Cardinal commit? Could he join Bobby Pettiford Jr in the backcourt for 2021? Right now, it’s hard to say. I, and recruiting guru Dalton Pence, feel like Louisville is in very good position. However, schools like Oregon, Texas Tech, and UConn present tough stumbling blocks. Regardless, this is one player Louisville fans need to keep their eyes on tomorrow because there’s a good chance he could end up a Card.
*stats courtesy of tcceagles.com
