Recruiting Report: Austin Ellis (2018)

T.J. Rushing

June 16, 2016 @ 02:11 PM

Though he may not play grassroots ball this summer, 6-foot-2 Campbellsville shooting guard Austin Ellis is determined to improve his game.   Kentucky's 21st-ranked 2018, Ellis has seen little as far as recruitment so far, just a letter and some speculation. But is eager to start the process , and hopes it ramps-up soon.   “Miami of Ohio reached out to me, they sent me a letter. And then my team recently got back from an EKU summer-ball camp, and I feel like they were talking to my coach about me and Dylan (Gaines), but I’m not 100 percent sure,” said Ellis.   “I wasn't really too worried about my recruitment my freshman year. But I know I’m going to have a huge role with the varsity next year, and we’re going to be really good, so I’m going to have to step up, and hopefully my recruitment shoots up.”   The decent-sized guard defined his playing style -- strengths and weaknesses -- to PHK.   “My strengths would be that I can shoot, and I can get to the basket -- left and right -- and shoot a pull-up jumper. I need to work on my defense and my attitude,” said Ellis, who is currently without a grassroots team.   He played with Western Kentucky Elite for one tournament in the spring, but will not play with them this summer. He’s looking for a new team, but as of now he’s planning on working out on his own.   Body, conditioning, shooting and ball-handling are all priorities of his for the summer.   “I’ve been in the weightroom a lot. And I’ve really been trying to keep up with my conditioning, because I feel like that's such a major key in basketball, with my energy and how I play defense,” said Ellis. “I’m also working on my ball-handling a lot, and I‘m in the gym everyday, working on the shooting gun.”