Louisville's former leading scorer, El Ellis, will face Kentucky again in '23-24

Louisville men’s basketball wasn’t very good this past season, but El Ellis sure was. Kentucky fans should go ahead and prepare to see him again, too.

Ellis, who announced his intentions to transfer out of the Cardinals’ program earlier this month, committed to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks on Monday afternoon, he told On3’s Joe Tipton. Ellis, a 6-foot-3 guard, is a dangerous scorer who should thrive under head coach Eric Musselman, who has now added five new players for the 2023-24 season through the portal.

Ellis averaged 17.7 points and 4.4 assists per game for Kenny Payne’s squad in ’22-23 while shooting 41.0 percent from the floor and 31.9 percent from distance. He spent his first two years post-high school at Tallahassee (FL) Community College before transferring and spending the last two seasons at Louisville. Ellis will have one year of college eligibility remaining.

NEWS: Louisville transfer El Ellis has committed to Arkansas, he tells @On3sports.

Averaged 17.7 PPG and 4.4 APG this season.

Story w/ quotes: https://t.co/v12fkXYIwM pic.twitter.com/TrtyHDBjaD

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 17, 2023

Kentucky plays Arkansas at least once per season (sometimes twice), meaning the ‘Cats will face the former Cardinal again in ’23-24. The last time Ellis took on UK, he dropped 23 points, two assists, and four steals for Louisville in an 86-63 loss for his team back in Dec. 2022.

Ellis joins a loaded incoming portal class for Coach Musselman that consists of SG Tramon Mark from Houston (10.1 PPG), CG Keyon Menifield from Washington (10 PPG), SG Khalif Battle from Temple (17.9 PPG), and SF Jeremiah Davenport from Cincinnati (9.1 PPG). Arkansas is also bringing in a pair of Top 35 recruits from the ’23 class in 6-foot-10 C Baye Fall and 6-foot-3 PG Layden Blocker.

Despite losing plenty of talent to the NBA Draft this offseason, the Razorbacks have already reloaded.