Ellis Delivers a Standout Performance—Arkansas Needed

The Louisville transfer proved Monday why he was among the ACC’s top guards the previous year.

We are merely fortunate to exist in El Ellis’ world. The former top scorer for the Louisville Cardinals the previous campaign is starting to settle into his point guard role for the Razorbacks.

Ellis, the go-to guy for the four-win Cards the previous season, now has the chance to establish his value for a team that has plenty of veteran players to complement him. He didn’t have a standout performance on opening night, but since then, his output has grown.

With 17 points and 8 assists, Ellis topped all Razorbacks in scoring and assists. He had five field goals made close to the rim while dominating off screens.

“Ellis is free to do that any night he desires,” stated Khakif Battle. “We have a really skilled backcourt. El done an excellent job, and he will continue to do so.”

Given that Ellis was the star of his previous stop, this shouldn’t be a barrier to his ascent as an offensive weapon. He is a lifelong learner who can absorb a lot of information from his coach.

According to Musselman, “[Ellis] has done a really good job of asking for feedback of what we’re looking for.” “He’s a guy who knows what people want to see from him in the right areas.”

Against the Monarchs on Monday night, the Razorbacks turned the ball over just four times as a team. Together, the trio of gifted transfer guards only committed one turnover, compared to Ellis’s none.

Ellis became just the second Razorback since 1996–97 to have 17+ points, 8+ assists, and zero turnovers in a game, according to Hogstats on X. The other was on December 12, 2020, against Central Arkansas, when Jalen Tate, a fellow transfer, scored 17 points and dished out 11 assists.