Commitment Spotlight – Emarion Ellis

[Tristan Larsen]

Texas Basketball landed it’s second commit for the class of 2021 when point guard Emarion Ellis gave his verbal to play for Shaka Smart and the Longhorns.

The Iowa native received an offer from Texas on July 24 and he wasted no time committing. Four days later he announced his commitment to Texas. Ellis fielded offers from Bryant, Louisiana Tech, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee before he decided on Texas.

The Assumption High School star averaged 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Bryant is an under-the-radar prospect that was gaining interest from his hometown Iowa State Cyclones, but pulled the trigger with the Longhorns before Steve Prohm’s program had the chance to offer.

Ellis joins power forward Keeyan Itejere from North Carolina as the second commit in the 2021 class. Both players are unranked via 247Sports.

Player Information

Name: Emarion Ellis
Position: Point Guard
High School: Assumption High School
City, State: Davenport, IA

Measurables

Height: 6’5
Weight: 175
Film

 

Three Best Traits:

Length and Speed – Ellis has incredible length for his position. He also can accelerate to the basket with ease, dribbling around any defender in his way. On a missed shot he can get back on defense and prevent fast breaks. Ellis has the speed and quickness to prevail at the point guard position.

Athleticism – Ellis averaged nearly eight rebounds a game his junior year for Davenport Central. He also played quarterback and safety for the football team as they went 3-7. Ellis is a lanky. speedy athlete who can get to the hole or make cuts with ease. He’s got the necessary hops to attack the paint and pull down rebounds like Russell Westbrook as well.

Finisher – Ellis’ main offensive strength is attacking the basket and finishing at the rim. He’s a combo guard who looks to penetrate first. He has the handles, speed, and acceleration to get around defenders quickly and can finish efficiently at the basket.

Areas for Improvement:

Frame – While Ellis has great length and height for his age and position he needs to fill out his frame. As of now, he’s around 175-180 which is good, but no doubt some more time in the weight room could benefit him in the long run.

Shooting – While Ellis can shoot the three and has the ability to knock it down and keep the defense honest, his shooting is an area for him to focus on. If it’s a set shot, he can knock it down, but creating his own jump shot would be something he can work on for the future.

Summary

Texas is getting an up-and-coming star in Emarion Ellis. He’s a three-star commit via Rivals, an via the Des Moines Register, he’s ranked as the fourth-best player in the state of Iowa. A staple for the Iowa Barnstormers AAU team, Ellis’s potential is through the roof. Up-and-coming prospects like Ellis and Itejere have tons of potential but just aren’t on people’s radars yet. Luckily for Texas, Shaka Smart has a good eye for identifying these types of players.

Final Verdict

With Ellis, Texas lands another diamond in the rough type of prospect to pair with Itejere. Texas only had one scholarship offer to give for 2020 and they struck gold with five-star power forward Greg Brown. With the class of 2021 expected to be able to hold up to five spots, this class is pivotal in order to bring Texas back to Big-12 prominence. In Ellis, Texas is getting a great combo guard who’s one of the best in his home state of Iowa. A great playmaker who’s able to lock down on defense and go get boards, Ellis is a great piece to run Texas’s offense for the future.