Musselman Has Work Cut Out for Him with Latest Transfer

If Ellis is to ever touch the floor as a Razorback, he's got one area that has to improve dramatically

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Apr 17, 2023 3:06 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A couple of days after running off Barry Dunning, Jr., the Arkansas Razorbacks have brought in Louisville guard El Ellis.

Ellis led a terrible Cardinals team to a 4-28 record while scoring 17.7 points per game. However, when we broke him down earlier this season, it wasn't his scoring that stood out.

A screen shot of a breakdown of El Ellis that highlights him as a turnover machine.

That's right, as impressive as it is to be the only guy who could really score for Louisville, many of those points were negated by turnovers – 120 to be exact.

Ellis takes care of the basketball like a 10-year-old boy takes care of his bike. It's reckless, sometimes hard to watch, and who knows where it's going to end up when he's done with it.

His game is so poor of a match for what keeps Arkansas coach Eric Musselman happy on the sidelines that Ellis was written off as a portal player we have to mention as having Arkansas on his list, but not someone to track hard because it seemed so unlikely.

Musselman's hairline and Diet Coke have taken a great deal of abuse over the years because Davonte Davis makes crazy plays that no one but him can envision that result in turnovers despite hitting his target in the hands. Musselman gets so incensed that the potential for bursting a blood vein becomes a legitimate concern.

If he is to make is through the upcoming season with Ellis is on the floor, the Arkansas coach has his work cut out for him.

Fixing the turnover problems with Davis is easy. Just tell him to stop with the elaborate passes until his teammates can adjust to his game, then ease it back into the repertoire.

It's not possible to tell someone who struggles with ball handling to just stop it. It's like telling someone who has had sloppy handwriting their entire life to not only write neater, but do so at the same speed as before.

It's going to take a ton of work to break those bad habits. Plus, turnovers at high rates often have to do with the ability to pay attention to several things at once, which is highly difficult to improve at significant levels.

Obviously, Musselman has earned the right to be trusted when making transfer evaluations. While it's a crap shoot at best to come to the Razorbacks as a freshman, it's nearly a pro career guarantee to come as a transfer.

If he thinks he can fix Ellis and prevent him from being the potential 16-24 point swing in favor of the other team that he was this past season, then it can probably be done. If so, the Ellis family will owe Musselman the world.

His point totals would theoretically go up without the extra shots lost to turnovers, and even if those points go to other Razorbacks, his nearly 18 points per game, coupled with the defensive improvement necessary to play for Musselman will make him a prime NBA target.

It's a risk, but Musselman gets the benefit of the doubt every time until proven otherwise.