What El Ellis brings to the table for Louisville
Head coach Chris Mack didn't have to wait nearly as long for 2021 commitment No. 3.
Just two weeks after point guard Bobby Pettiford Jr. became the second 2021 Cardinals pledge, JUCO point guard Elbert "El" Ellis announced his commitment to the University of Louisville men's basketball program on Wednesday to become the third member of the Class of 2021. Pettiford's commitment came seven months after small forward Bryce Hopkins' commitment last November.
Ellis has been a priority target for the Louisville coaching staff for quite some time now, and it's not hard to see why. In his freshman year for Tallahassee Community College (FL), 6-foot-3 & 175-pound prospect averaged 14.3 points, 4.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds over 33 games played. He also shot 47.9% from the field, 40.3% on three-point shots and 83.9% at the free three line.
“I built a great relationship with Coach (Chris) Mack and Coach (Dino) Gaudio,” Ellis told SI All-American. “Throughout the whole process they were on me hard telling me how much they needed me. The ACC, that’s the best conference in college basketball so having the opportunity to be on that stage, that’s amazing.”
Beyond his stat line, what else does Ellis bring to the table for the Cards? Here is the analysis of his game from SI All-American's Director of Basketball Recruiting Jason Jordan:
"I really like this pick up for Chris Mack because El gives him a veteran guard who will be able to side-step the learning curve to some degree. El is an efficient three-level scorer with a high basketball IQ. He's great at controlling pace and really knows how to pick his spots well. I think he's at his best when he's hunting this shot, but he's a legitimate playmaker who makes his teammates better. The most telling aspect for me with El is his work ethic; you can visibly see a tangible improvement year to year in most aspects of his game. That grind will serve him well at Louisville and in the ACC."
Until David Johnson picked things up in the second half of his freshman year, subpar point guard play was something that Louisville was criticized for over a vast majority of the 2019-20 season. While Ellis won't be joining the Cards until the 2021-22 season, it's reassuring to know that it shouldn't be huge area of concern if Johnson decides to head to the NBA after his sophomore year. Combine this with center Gabe Wiznitzer reclassifying to 2020 and redshirting this upcoming season, and the Cards will have a fairly experienced team.
El Ellis' 2019-20 Tallahassee C.C. Highlights:
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