Louisville Signee El Ellis Named NJCAA First Team All-American

The point guard and Cardinals men's basketball signee has been named a JUCO All-American for the second consecutive year.

(Photo of El Ellis: Tallahassee Community College Athletics)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Louisville men's basketball JUCO signee El Ellis has been named a NJCAA First Team All-American, the organization announced Wednesday. This is the second 2020-21 JUCO season honor for Ellis, as he also repeated as the Panhandle Conference Player of the Year last month, and second consecutive season being named a NJCAA All-American.

The 6-foot-3, 170-pound point guard for Tallahassee Community College (Fla.) is one of the top Junior College prospects in the nation. He averaged 17.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists during his sophomore season, while also shooting 46.0% from the field, 41.7% on three-points attempts and 75.9% at the free throw line.

The Durham, N.C. native helped guide the Eagles to a 19-3 overall record, including a 13-3 mark in conference play - which allowed Tallahassee to clinch a share of the Panhandle Conference Championship. The Eagles did participate in the 2021 postseason due to a postgame altercation in their regular season finale at Pensacola State.

Ellis is part of a three-man 2021 recruiting class for the Cardinals, joining high school signees wing Michael James and center Roosevelt Wheeler.

There was concern he would decommit following the news that Louisville assistant coach Dino Gaudio would not be retained, but he reaffirmed his commitment. Gaudio was the lead recruiter for Ellis, point guard Bobby Pettiford and power forward Eric Van Der Heijdan - the latter two of which asked to be released from their National Letters of Intent.

Despite averaging 16.7 points, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a senior for Quality Education Academy, Ellis elected to go the JUCO route out of high school.

He immediately burst onto the scene, averaging 14.3 points, 4.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds while also shooting 47.9% from the field, 40.3% on threes and 83.9% on free three throws as a freshman. He was named Freshman & Player of the Year in the Panhandle Conference as a result.

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