Prospect Overview
Junior college transfer who came into his own as a senior at Alabama showing potential as a 3-point shooter and multi-positional defender.
About Keon Ellis
Keon Ellis is a floor spacing wing who had some ups and downs scoring the ball, but made a consistent impact with his length and energy on the defensive end as a senior at Alabama. A lightly regarded prospect following his senior year at Leesburg High School (FL), the Eustis, Florida native began his collegiate career at Florida SouthWestern State College where he averaged 18.1 points per game as a sophomore.
Transferring to Alabama to play under head coach Nate Oats, the lanky swingman averaged only 5.5 points and 4 rebounds per game as a junior, but turned a corner in his final collegiate season. Averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.8 assists per game, the 22-year-old made an impact on both ends to earn All-SEC defensive team honors.
• Measured standing 6-foot-4.75 with a skinny 167-pound frame and a 6-foot-8.5 wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, Ellis lacks strength, but has good length for his size and makes the most of it defensively with very impressive lateral quickness.
• A tireless, versatile defender who can chip in on the glass in small lineups and slide with guards on the perimeter, Ellis did a terrific job making things difficult for opposing scorers and getting in the passing lanes as a senior.
• Serving primarily as a floor spacer, Ellis’s offensive production often hinged on his ability to make perimeter shots with his feet set, but he also showed some range on his pull-up jumper, a quick first step, and the ability to score opportunistically around the rim. While he is not the most sophisticated ball handler or decision-maker, he did a terrific job picking and choosing his spots this season.
Advanced Stats
• With almost two-thirds of his shots in the half court coming in catch and shoot situations, Ellis did much of his scoring as a set shooter, but also contributed with his speed in transition, athleticism as a finisher, and perhaps unexpectedly strong accuracy as both a pull-up and free-throw shooter.
• Scoring 1.15 points per jump shot [91st percentile], Ellis made set shots at a solid rate, showed deft touch off the dribble on some pull-ups, and never lacked for confidence on the perimeter despite some ups and downs throughout the season.
• Forcing little to the rim, Ellis’s athleticism stood out at times as a slasher and on the offensive glass. Averaging 1.31 points per shot around the rim in the half court [82nd percentile], he used rangy Eurosteps to navigate traffic and played above the rim impressively on the move.
• Still somewhat early in his development as a decision-maker and ball handler, Ellis did not show much of a comfort level making reads out of ball screens, but did a nice job making the easy play moving the ball along the perimeter.
Defensive Analysis
• Bringing great quickness and wiry strength to the defensive end, Ellis was active in the passing lanes and on the glass but did his most impressive work often matching up with the top perimeter weapon of every team the Crimson Tide faced.
• While he’ll need to continue to get stronger to reach his ceiling as a defender, his ability to lock in on opposing scorers was impressive.
• Ellis still has some small things to clean up as an off ball defender, but rarely lacked energy.
— Profile by Synergy Sports
