Ellis Named National Junior College
Player of the Year
April 20, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana men's basketball
signee Jamarcus Ellis was named the National Junior
College Player of the Year, the National Junior College
Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men's Basketball Coaches
Association announced on Wednesday.
Ellis averaged 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.9
assists per game for Chipola (Fla.) Junior College,
helping guide the team to a 33-3 record and a runner-up
finish in the Junior College National Tournament.
Chipola also won the NJCAA Region 8, the Panhandle
Conference and held the No. 1 ranking in the NJCAA
National Poll for 10 consecutive weeks.
"Jamarcus looked me in the eye after the 2005-06
season and told me he wanted to win this award," Chipola
Head Coach Greg Heiar said. "He set the goal and
achieved it. Indiana is getting a kid that will do
whatever it takes to win."
Ellis, a Chicago native and product of Westinghouse
High School, is one member of the Hoosiers' six-man
recruiting class which ranks in the top 10 nationally
according to most recruiting services. He was a Chipola
and high school teammate of DeAndre Thomas, who signed
with Indiana on April 11. Ellis joins Thomas, a 6-8,
295-pound forward; Indiana Mr. Basketball Eric Gordon, a
6-4, 205-pound guard from Indianapolis North Central
High School; Eli Holman, a 6-9, 210-pound center from
Richmond (Calif.) High School; Jordan Crawford, a 6-4,
190-pound guard from Detroit, Mich. (Hargrave [Va.]
Military Academy) and Brandon McGee, a 6-7, 220-pound
forward from Chicago Crane High School.
