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The Career Numbers
- 9.5 points, 15.5 per 40 minutes
- 7.5 rebounds, 10.9 per 40 minutes
- 1.7 blocks, 2.6 per 40 minutes
- .550/.000/.664 shooting splits (Took one 3-pointer across 1,835 career minutes)
The Best of the Best
Wednesday December 14, 2014 vs. No. 19 San Diego State
Ellis played at least 30 minutes in 19 games as a junior, but it was in the Bearcats' 71-62 overtime win over the nationally ranked Aztecs that he hit 40 minutes. In that time he didn't pace the team offensively (eight points) but he put together nine rebounds, four blocks and a pair of steals. His work on the boards helped UC to a 35-33 edge in that department and he also contributed to a defensive effort that kept SDSU to below 40 percent shooting.
Saturday January 10, 2015 vs. UConn
The brutal slugfests between the Bearcats and Huskies are the type of games Ellis was built for. Although UC lost 62-56 this time around, Ellis had a block party, rejecting a career-high six would-be field goals.
Sunday Feburary 1, 2015 at East Carolina
Its one thing to have a double-double. Its another to match your point total with your rebounding output. Ellis did that in this disappointing loss to the Pirates, grabbing 14 boards to go with 14 points. Oh, and he blocked three shots.
Wednesday February 20, 2015 vs. UCF
Sometimes Ellis did explode on offense and this was one of those times, as he reached the 20-point plateau for the first and only time in his career. Add eight rebounds and you've got yourself a stellar effort.
Sunday March 8, 2015 vs. Memphis
Ellis really closed the 2015 campaign well, scoring in double figures in six of the final eight games of the regular season. His 19-point, 11-rebound double-double against Memphis was a high point.
Friday November 13, 2015 vs. Western Carolina
Ellis stuffed 17 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two blocks into 24 minutes as the Bearcats rolled to a 97-72 victory.
Wednesday December 2, 2015 vs. Butler
A heartbreaking loss to Butler couldn't erase the fact that Ellis was the best player on the floor (16 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks).
Wednesday January 13, 2016 vs. Houston
Lucky No. 13 for Ellis in this one, as he scored 13 points and secured 13 rebounds on the 13th of the month.
A Final Goodbye
Its unfortunate that the lasting images of Ellis may be from his participation in the Crosstown brawl or his ejection from last year's NCAA Tournament, not to mention the fact that Ellis will be remembered for coming a fraction of a second short of tying things up and forcing overtime against St. Joseph's in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tourney.
As we've covered here at DTD before, reducing Ellis' career and him as a person down to a few bad seconds is unfair and it ignores the complicated issues that lie beneath the surface. I am far too unqualified to analyze those, but what I can analyze is what Ellis did in terms of basketball at UC, and it that regard, he was one of the best players available to Mick Cronin during the last two years.