🏀🥇 South Carolina commit Eli Ellis named Overtime Elite MVP
South Carolina men’s basketball commit and class of 2025 four-star shooting guard Eli Ellis capped off a huge Overtime Elite season by being named league MVP on Wednesday.
The viral internet sensation led the league in scoring, averaging 33.4 points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. He also had two 50-point performances as well as five games in which he scored 40 or more points.
Ellis, who scored 30 points in 11 of 16 games this season, is just 46 points shy of the league’s single-season scoring record, a mark he can break in the upcoming playoffs. He was the first player in the league’s three-year history to break 50 in a game.
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The 6-foot-1 Hickory, N.C. native committed to South Carolina in November over offers from College of Charleston, VCU, Mississippi State, and Virginia Tech.
“Nobody thought I could play at the SEC level before I came to OTE this year,” Ellis said. “I feel like people think I can now. But (Lamont Paris) really believed I could play at that level and that type of environment.”
The On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average of all four major recruiting services — has Ellis as the No. 84-ranked prospect in the country for the 2025 class. The four-star prospect is also considered the No. 24 shooting guard in the class.
South Carolina currently has two commits in its 2025 class — Ellis and Greenville (S.C.) Powdersville three-star forward Hayden Assemian.
With the OTE regular season complete, Ellis and his top-seeded YNG Dreamerz team will next hit the floor in the playoff semi-finals against No. 4 RWE, with the first game set to take place on Friday at 9:00 p.m. on YouTube.
Click here to read more about the Overtime Elite league.
On3’s Joe Tipton and GamecockCentral’s Jack Veltri contributed to this report.
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On3’s Jamie Shaw on Eli Ellis’ game
You can see the skill set, but what he brings to the table is unwavering confidence. Eli Ellis wants the ball in the biggest of situations, and he has the feeling that he will be able to get the job done no matter what is at hand.
Ellis has deep range on his jump shot, and that is what his game plays off of. He is capable of pulling up from 30-35 feet, in game, and defenses have the press on him to respect that. Ellis is a confident ball handler in the half-court, he is able to attack bad footwork and off-balanced defenders to get to his spots.
Ellis plays with great balance. He is able to pull up the second he feels he has an opening to shoot. Ellis has a repeatable load and a consistent release with his shot. Throughout his career, he will continue to have questions about his size and athleticism. And those have been questions he has had throughout his career.
While the defensive questions will need to be addressed, Ellis brings a toughness to the table as well as an understanding of footwork and angles. Ellis is a bonafide top-100 prospect, he has played varsity basketball since the sixth grade and has continued to produce numbers each step of the way.
