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FROSH PROFILE: BRUCE ELLINGTON

Rob Harrington
robharrington@prepstars.com
January 25, 2011

To date, we’ve mostly looked at the college freshmen who were highly esteemed heading into this season, but one who’s done well without quite as many accolades is South Carolina point guard Bruce Ellington. The diminutive 5-9 floor general appeared at one time to be a football recruit, but he demonstrated tremendous speed in Las Vegas in the summer of 2009, finishing up as a top-75 prospect in his class.

This season for the Gamecocks, Ellington is leading the team in scoring at 14.5 points per game along with four rebounds and nearly four assists per contest. South Carolina has posted a respectable 12-6 record and is off to a 2-1 start in the SEC.

What Ellington must improve now is his shooting. He’s hitting only 37 percent from the field, including a poor 64 percent from the foul line. It isn’t uncommon for shorter guards to require more time to get rolling, because they have to adjust to college size and learn what shots they can realistically get at that level. That’s especially true for Ellington, who actually has been very solid — 39 percent — from the three-point line.

Also, while his scoring is needed, Ellington must become a more proficient playmaker in order to succeed in the NBA. The upshot for the Gamecocks is that his size and need for development are likely to keep him around much longer than the average talented point guard, a position that doesn’t seem to be strengthening in the upcoming high school classes.