LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville point guard El Ellis will declare for the NBA Draft, but maintain his eligibility to return to school, he announced via his social media accounts.
If he signs with an NCAA-approved agent, Ellis will remain eligible to rejoin Louisville's team, or another college team should he choose to transfer.
The 6-foot-3-inch senior shouldered an immense scoring load for coach Kenny Payne's first Louisville team this past season, scoring 17.7 points per game while dishing out a team-high 4.4 assists per game.
"To Coach KP, the staff and also my teammates, thank you for everything," Ellis wrote in his post. "This past year meant more to me than you could ever imagine. Card Nation: Thank you for the support you all showed through a tough time. Playing for Louisville these past two years meant more to me than people know. I played every minute of every game like it was my last."
Always Bet On Yourself🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/o02z0kKCfI
— 𝐸𝐿𝐵𝒪𝒪𝒢𝐼𝐸 (@elellis3) March 22, 2023
Ellis can go through the draft process, get input on his likely draft position from league sources, then make a decision whether to remain in the draft or go back to school.
After the Cards lost to Boston College in the ACC Tournament to finish a 4-28 season, Ellis told WDRB: "It just really hit home, like that it should be my last time playing this jersey and, like, this program meant everything to me you now? Coming here, KP gave me a chance to show how well of a player I was, and I just felt like, just a disappointing season, you know?”
Six players from last season's Louisville team have entered the transfer portal: Sydney Curry, Roosevelt Wheeler, Jae'lyn Withers, Fabio Basili, Devin Lee and Kamari Lands.
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