Keon Ellis Fitting Into Alabama Basketball's Blue-Collar Culture

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama men's basketball already had the Southeastern Conference's No. 1 three-point shooter on its roster from last season in senior wing John Petty Jr.

Then, in the recent offseason coach Nate Oats and company and went out and added a JUCO All-American in guard Keon Ellis, who was the leader scorer and three-point shooter on the nation's No. 1 team, Florida Southwestern State College.

Match those two together and the Crimson Tide is hoping its offense can take an even greater step in efficiency under year two in Oats' system.

“We think his length, athleticism and effort on the defensive end, that was as big of a selling point to us as his offensive game. And his offensive game’s great,” Oats told the media via Zoom last week. “He was the leading scorer on the No. 1 JUCO team in the country. He makes threes at a high clip. He can drive the ball. He can finish. He’s skilled."

Last year, Ellis poured in 18.7 points per game in 31 games for the Buccaneers, while shooting 54 percent from the field and a red-hot 40 percent from three-point range.

He isn't a one-trick pony, either.

Defensively, he averaged 2.1 steals and 1.2 block per game, a feat that only four players achieved nationally at the JUCO level in 2019-2020. Ellis is the all-time steals leader in Florida Southwestern State's history with 114.

“Him and Petty are a similar size, 6-5 and long, and Petty’s been playing unbelievable defense here," Oats said. "We’ve tried to sell the two of those guys on being two of the better two-way players in the SEC, and I think they’re both capable of doing that.”

Ellis spoke to the media for the first time in his Alabama career last week, diving into why he ultimately ended up inking on the dotted line with the Crimson Tide.

“I feel like I fit better into a more run-and-gun style of offense,” Ellis said. “Watching a couple of their games last year, watching them play, I felt like I could fit in because they do get up and down on offense. I think that’s my best offense to play in, even though I feel like I can play in any style of offense. But seeing that they get up and down a lot and I can finish in transition, I can shoot the ball, be someone off the dribble, that makes it easier to play in this style of offense.”

Ellis's offensive skill and Oats fast-paced style appears to be a match made in heaven for each other, but it's the blue-collar mentality and culture preached by Oats that's made an impact on the Eustis, Fla. native.

“I think I fit into pretty well," Ellis said. "I think this may be the first time defense has really been, like, asked of me, to actually bring it. I could always play defense on my own, but here, you have to play defense. The blue-collar thing, I think that escalated my defensive ability even more because now, I’m thinking about getting more rebounds, getting in passing lanes, diving for loose balls, which I’m capable of and I’ve been doing a good of that in practice.”

Color Crimson Tide forward James Rojas, who also came to Tuscaloosa via the junior college route, impressed.

“He’s a great shooter,” Rojas said. “He can shoot. He can drive. He’s a really good defender. He’s a long wing. He can do everything out there, and we love that. We need those guards who can move and play offense and defense. So, I think he brings a lot to the table.”

Including Ellis, Alabama's guard rotation has plenty of depth with Petty, Jaden Shackelford, Josh Primo, Jahvon Quinerly, and even Herbert Jones at times.

But come Nov. 25, when the Crimson Tide is set to host Jacksonville State in its season opener, Ellis could be prove to be one of the more instant-impact signings from the 2020 class that was regarded as a top-ten bunch, nationally.

"I feel like I can," Ellis said of seeing the court early on. "But then again we have a lot of players, though. I feel like whoever is on the court, we will be in good hands. We are definitely deep. With the guys we have, and whoever is on the court, I feel like we are capable of doing what we know we can do."