Louisville guard El Ellis declares for NBA draft, maintains college eligibility

Louisville guard El Ellis has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft and will maintain his college eligibility, he tells On3.

Although the 6-foot-3 senior guard will test the Draft waters, Ellis plans to sign with an NCAA certified agent, allowing him to return to college if he chooses. He tells On3 he’s considering a return to Louisville but is also open to the possibility of weighing his options in the transfer portal.

Ellis, a Durham, North Carolina native, averaged 17.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season for the Cardinals. He led the team in both points and assists.

Louisville finished last in the ACC this season in Kenny Payne’s first year at the helm. The Cardinals ended the year 2-18 in conference and 4-28 overall. Since the conclusion of the season, six Louisville players have entered the transfer portal. Those names include Kamari Lands (5.9 PPG), Devin Ree (0.9 PPG), Fabio Basili (1.6 PPG), Sydney Curry (4.9 PPG), Roosevelt Wheeler (1.2 PPG), and Jaelyn Withers (8.9 PPG).

While the ‘Cards have lost some talent, they are also replacing it. Kenny Payne and staff are already set to bring in five newcomers, landing commitments from four-star wing Trentyn Flowers (No. 21), four-star forward Kaleb Glenn (No. 65), four-star forward Curtis Williams Jr. (No. 86), four-star center Dennis Evans (No. 38), and Illinois transfer Skyy Clark.

El Ellis began his college career at Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College, a JUCO program. He averaged 17.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds while connecting on 55-of-132 three-pointers (41.7%) and 75.9% of his free throws (85-of-112) during the 2020-21 season. Before moving to junior college, Ellis scored 2,382 career points at Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C. He averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals as a senior.