From @jacksoncollier
arkansas.rivals.com
One of the later additions to the Arkansas roster, Louisville transfer El Ellis is perhaps the most intriguing additions to the roster. Last season he put up incredible numbers, but he also played for the worst high major program in the country.
The Cardinals managed to win just four basketball games in the 2022-23 season, as they finished with a record of 4-28 (2-18 ACC). The Razorbacks faced off against Ellis and the Cardinals in the Maui Invitational last season, which resulted in head coach Eric Musselman gaining early scouting report on the future Razorback.
Arkansas dominated the matchup, eventually winning 80-54. Ellis was one of just two Louisville players in double-digits on the night, as he scored 11 points and added three rebounds and two assists.
While the 6-foot-3 guard played for such a bad program, his production shined through the team's awful record and performances. For the season, Ellis averaged 17.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.0 steals. Adding to that, he managed to shoot 41.0% from the field, 31.9% from beyond the arc and 81.0% from the free throw line.
As the team's only primary ball handler, Ellis was forced to have the ball in his hands nearly every second he was on the court. It might not be his most natural position, but he made the most of it and proved he could be a primary ball-handler at a high level.
This past season he posted a very impressive 30.7% assist rate. Assist rate is a percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor, so Ellis was responsible for nearly 31% of his teammates' field goals while he was on the court. For reference, Anthony Black — the No. 6 overall pick by the Orlando Magic — had a 20.6% assist rate for the Razorbacks last season.
That assist rate number was lower for Ellis as a junior at Louisville, as he primarily came off the bench that season, but still managed a 16.6% assist rate. That would have been good enough for second on the Arkansas roster last season behind Black.
While Ellis is a strong facilitator, he is also a scoring threat at all three levels. As a junior with more talent surrounding him, Ellis shot an impressive 36.0% from three on 3.6 attempts per game. His usage and volume drastically increased his senior year, while his perimeter shooting percentage dipped to 31.9%. As a senior, he played 36.0 minutes per game, up from 20.5 minutes the previous year, and he attempted 5.8 threes per game.
The Durham, North Carolina, native will likely play a role more similar to his junior year at Louisville given how much offensive fire power is on the 2023-24 Razorback roster. Ellis will not have to be the sole ball-handler or scoring threat, allowing for his efficiency to improve from last season.
Rebounding is not one of Ellis's strengths, but he has never needed to be a significant contributor on the boards, either. His total rebound percentage, the percentage of available rebounds he grabbed while on the floor, was a lowly 4.5% last season, which would have ranked 14th on the Arkansas roster, ahead of only Nick Smith Jr. (3.8%) and Barry Dunning Jr. (3.5%).
Musselman is known for having strong rebounding guards, particularly this past season, when four of the team's six leading rebounders were guards or wings. That won't change with this roster, but Ellis will likely not be one of the strongest rebounding guards Musselman has had. With guards like Tramon Mark, Davonte Davis, Jeremiah Davenport, and Layden Blocker, the Razorback backcourt will have plenty of strong rebounding guards to make up for it.
The primary function for Ellis will be as a play-making ball-handler, who also spends a good chunk of time off-ball. Last season, Arkansas had multiple guards with primary ball-handling responsibility, including Black, Ricky Council IV, Davis and Smith. That will likely be the case again this season to utilize matchups and exploit defenses.
Ellis has a knack for getting to the rim with or without the ball in his hands, and he is a high-percentage catch-and-shoot shooter. He scores 1.06 points per possession as a spot up shooter, regardless of distance. He can generate steals at a decent rate, averaging 1.0 steals per game, and he plays adequate defense, but his greatest strength by far is his offensive prowess.
While Ellis is such a strong contributor offensively, last season he did turned the ball over a great deal. He averaged 3.8 turnovers per game and turned the ball over 18.3% per 100 plays. The turnovers should be cut down, as well, because of an adjusted role and being on a team with an extremely talented backcourt.
The Louisville transfer has experience and age on his side, as he is utilizing his final year of eligibility to play as a Razorback. Prior to Louisville, Ellis was a junior college All-American for Tallahassee Community College. While there was very little team success during his time as a Cardinal, he led Tallahassee to a 27-6 record in the 2019-2020 and 19-3 in 2020-2021.
Ellis knows what it takes to win, has a style of play that fits what Musselman and the Arkansas staff look for: plenty of talent and proven statistics to make an immediate impact in Fayetteville next season.
HawgBeat - What Arkansas is getting in El Ellis
HawgBeat analyzes what Louisville transfer El Ellis brings to Arkansas basketball.
arkansas.rivals.com
One of the later additions to the Arkansas roster, Louisville transfer El Ellis is perhaps the most intriguing additions to the roster. Last season he put up incredible numbers, but he also played for the worst high major program in the country.
The Cardinals managed to win just four basketball games in the 2022-23 season, as they finished with a record of 4-28 (2-18 ACC). The Razorbacks faced off against Ellis and the Cardinals in the Maui Invitational last season, which resulted in head coach Eric Musselman gaining early scouting report on the future Razorback.
Arkansas dominated the matchup, eventually winning 80-54. Ellis was one of just two Louisville players in double-digits on the night, as he scored 11 points and added three rebounds and two assists.
While the 6-foot-3 guard played for such a bad program, his production shined through the team's awful record and performances. For the season, Ellis averaged 17.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.0 steals. Adding to that, he managed to shoot 41.0% from the field, 31.9% from beyond the arc and 81.0% from the free throw line.
As the team's only primary ball handler, Ellis was forced to have the ball in his hands nearly every second he was on the court. It might not be his most natural position, but he made the most of it and proved he could be a primary ball-handler at a high level.
This past season he posted a very impressive 30.7% assist rate. Assist rate is a percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor, so Ellis was responsible for nearly 31% of his teammates' field goals while he was on the court. For reference, Anthony Black — the No. 6 overall pick by the Orlando Magic — had a 20.6% assist rate for the Razorbacks last season.
That assist rate number was lower for Ellis as a junior at Louisville, as he primarily came off the bench that season, but still managed a 16.6% assist rate. That would have been good enough for second on the Arkansas roster last season behind Black.
While Ellis is a strong facilitator, he is also a scoring threat at all three levels. As a junior with more talent surrounding him, Ellis shot an impressive 36.0% from three on 3.6 attempts per game. His usage and volume drastically increased his senior year, while his perimeter shooting percentage dipped to 31.9%. As a senior, he played 36.0 minutes per game, up from 20.5 minutes the previous year, and he attempted 5.8 threes per game.
The Durham, North Carolina, native will likely play a role more similar to his junior year at Louisville given how much offensive fire power is on the 2023-24 Razorback roster. Ellis will not have to be the sole ball-handler or scoring threat, allowing for his efficiency to improve from last season.
Rebounding is not one of Ellis's strengths, but he has never needed to be a significant contributor on the boards, either. His total rebound percentage, the percentage of available rebounds he grabbed while on the floor, was a lowly 4.5% last season, which would have ranked 14th on the Arkansas roster, ahead of only Nick Smith Jr. (3.8%) and Barry Dunning Jr. (3.5%).
Musselman is known for having strong rebounding guards, particularly this past season, when four of the team's six leading rebounders were guards or wings. That won't change with this roster, but Ellis will likely not be one of the strongest rebounding guards Musselman has had. With guards like Tramon Mark, Davonte Davis, Jeremiah Davenport, and Layden Blocker, the Razorback backcourt will have plenty of strong rebounding guards to make up for it.
The primary function for Ellis will be as a play-making ball-handler, who also spends a good chunk of time off-ball. Last season, Arkansas had multiple guards with primary ball-handling responsibility, including Black, Ricky Council IV, Davis and Smith. That will likely be the case again this season to utilize matchups and exploit defenses.
Ellis has a knack for getting to the rim with or without the ball in his hands, and he is a high-percentage catch-and-shoot shooter. He scores 1.06 points per possession as a spot up shooter, regardless of distance. He can generate steals at a decent rate, averaging 1.0 steals per game, and he plays adequate defense, but his greatest strength by far is his offensive prowess.
While Ellis is such a strong contributor offensively, last season he did turned the ball over a great deal. He averaged 3.8 turnovers per game and turned the ball over 18.3% per 100 plays. The turnovers should be cut down, as well, because of an adjusted role and being on a team with an extremely talented backcourt.
The Louisville transfer has experience and age on his side, as he is utilizing his final year of eligibility to play as a Razorback. Prior to Louisville, Ellis was a junior college All-American for Tallahassee Community College. While there was very little team success during his time as a Cardinal, he led Tallahassee to a 27-6 record in the 2019-2020 and 19-3 in 2020-2021.
Ellis knows what it takes to win, has a style of play that fits what Musselman and the Arkansas staff look for: plenty of talent and proven statistics to make an immediate impact in Fayetteville next season.
