Louisville Basketball: Three 2021 recruits you need to know
By Alex Payton
El Ellis – Guard
Tallahassee Community College (Three-star)
Going along the lines of getting a great guard in the 2021 class, El Ellis is another opportunity for the Louisville coaching staff to get a highly rated JUCO transfer. The 6’3 point guard is originally from Durham, North Carolina, and is the top scorer on his high school team. He currently plays at Tallahassee Community College and is looking forward to transferring to a Division 1 school in 2021.
His college coach at Tallahassee, Zach Settembre (a former Louisville high school head coach), said, “Of the elite, upper-echelon programs, Louisville is at the top of the programs that recruit junior college kids. Duke doesn’t take junior college kids, North Carolina has not recruited junior college guys, so being a guy from ACC country to get an offer from a big-time, successful, elite ACC school is very exciting for him.”
It appears that Ellis has a lot of ambition, wanting to play at the highest level possible in college with the ability to go pro. He also has a list of offers that includes Ole Miss, Nebraska, Depaul, and NC State. El Ellis might be a player to lose in 2021 if no one else comes in to steal him away from Mack. Louisville is a place that can give him the things he is looking for, and Louisville is one of the only high-profile ACC teams on his radar.
Cardinal Authority had an interview with Ellis. He said, “I’m very excited, Coach (Chris) Mack called me on FaceTime and told me how much he loved my game. We talked a lot about what’s going on in the world with the virus but he said he had watched my game and really liked it. He said they wanted a guard that can play fast and he thinks I can come in and make an impact.”
Jacob Lane wrote about Ellis last month and how Chris Mack may have the potential to catch lightning in a bottle again at the JUCO level. While Jay Scrubb may never play for Louisville, his rise from a relatively known high schooler to a potential first-round NBA pick is one you don’t hear often.
Ellis likely won’t be on any NBA radars, but he is a guy who caught the attention of college basketball coaches across the country for a reason. Ellis is a dynamic guard capable of making things happen in a blink of an eye. He has elite speed and has shown the ability through one season that he can be a more than capable scorer as well as defender.