TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Tallahassee Community College’s El Ellis was named Second-team All-America by the National Junior College Athletic Association on Monday.
Ellis is the Eagles’ first All-American since Marcus Hatten was a first-team selection in 2001 and the fifth in school history, joining the likes of Kerry Thompson (1996), Marvis “Bootsy” Thornton (1997) and Antwan Jones (2000).
Of the five, Ellis is the first freshman to earn All-America recognition.
The All-America nod caps a remarkable freshman campaign for the 6-foot-3, 170-pound point guard out of Durham, N.C.
In February, he was voted Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, becoming the Eagles’ fifth winner of each award. He was just the fourth freshman since 1997 to be voted the PC Player of the Year.
He also earned First-team All-Conference and FCSAA All-State honors.
After helping Tallahassee to its first Panhandle Conference Championship since 2006, and its first outright crown since 2001, Ellis guided the Eagles to the FCSAA State Championship Game. Despite falling to Gulf Coast State College in the championship tilt, the Eagles earned an at-large berth and No. 12 seed to the NJCAA Tournament before the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.
In 33 games, Ellis, averaged 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor, 40.3 percent on threes and 84.5 percent from the free throw line.
Ellis will enter his sophomore season as one of the most highly sought after prospects in the two-year ranks, having already garnered offers from the likes of Arizona State, Connecticut, DePaul, Iowa State, Louisville, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Wake Forest and Wichita State.
