Perry Ellis (basketball)

Perry Ellis (born September 14, 1993) is an American college basketball player who currently plays at the University of Kansas. He is the starting power forward for the Jayhawks.

Early life

Ellis is the son of Fonda Ellis. He began playing basketball in first grade, and measured 6'1 in sixth grade. By the time he was in the eighth grade, his games were moved to the high school gymnasium so more people could watch. Ellis attended Wichita Heights High School, where he was coached by Joe Auer. He led Wichita Heights to four state titles, was named Kansas player of the year four times, and scored a cumulative 2,231 points and 984 rebounds during his prep career. Academically, Ellis maintained a 4.0 GPA and was named valedictorian of his high school class.^[1] He was selected as a McDonald's All-American after his senior season in 2012.^[2]

College career

Ellis scored a career-high 32 points on February 15, 2014 in a 95-65 victory over TCU. He contributed eight rebounds to go along with his 13-of-15 shooting.^[3] He averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Ellis scored more than 20 points in eight games that year. In July, he participated in the LeBron James Skills Academy.^[4]

In his junior season, Ellis led Kansas in scoring and rebounding with 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He shot 45.7 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from behind the arc. Ellis was named to the First Team All-Big 12. He sprained his knee in a late-season game against West Virginia, derailing his season. Ellis considered entering the 2015 NBA draft after the season, but decided to return for his senior year after being told he would be selected in the second round.^[5]

International career

Ellis competed on behalf of the United States in the 2015 World University Games. He averaged 13.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in leading Team USA to an 8-0 record and 84-77 victory over Germany in the gold medal game.^[6]

References