Louisville basketball: 3 things to like about new commit El Ellis

El Ellis brings veteran leadership and defensive tenacity

Not many players show up to campus having multiple years of college basketball under their belt, but that’s exactly what Louisville basketball will be getting with El Ellis.

While the junior college level is by no means comparable to the Division one level, it does offer up a variety of ways to prepare players for their next jumps.

At the JUCO level, under the radar guys have the opportunity to operate on a basketball-centric schedule. They present coaches with the opportunity to add a player with two years of experience under his belt post-high school. It should not be overlooked how beneficial it is that Ellis will come to Louisville as a veteran player who could be a leader from the minute he sets foot on campus.

Ellis also brings something most don’t really talk enough about in the recruiting world: defense.

Just turn on his tape and you’ll see how attune to defensive ball-hawking and jumping into passing lanes Ellis is. Time after time, he picks someone’s pocket or times a pass perfectly and it leads to a fast break.

One could argue that Ellis’ bread and butter is his ability to generate extra possessions and finish on the break. He doesn’t need numbers in the open floor to score, and that is huge for a Louisville team that has lacked tenacious defender outside of Darius Perry.

For Cardinals fans, it’s easy to look back and fondly remember the stretch from about 2005 to 2015 where Louisville thrived on ball pressure and wearing down opponents in order to create steals and turnovers that lead to extra possessions. With Ellis, that same defensive tenacity feels like a real possibility.

There’s a ton to love about Louisville basketball’s newest addition, but it’s the little things that could make him a massive addition in the end.