Nothing New on Ellis

[moytoy12]

From Timmerman's blog:

With the start of practice just a week away, SLU recruit Cody Ellis remains in Australia, waiting for clearance from the NCAA. Apparently there’s a class in there that’s not to the NCAA’s liking, and SLU has appealed the initial ruling.

“It’s the single most frustrating thing in my coaching career,” coach Rick Majerus said. “This hasn’t been a fair process to him.”

Though the fall semester is well on its way, Majerus said that there is still a chance Ellis can take part in the fall semester, that there is a cutoff date that hasn’t been reached yet. “We haven’t ruled out the first semester yet and we won’t,” Majerus said. “We’re fighting it. I don’t want to put pressure on him by setting a date. There may be a time, but that time has not passed. It’s still a possibility.”

And, Majerus added, you don’t have to be enrolled to read a book or hire a tutor. “I have admiration for the family,” Majerus said. “His dad has literally — literally — spent hundreds of hours to navigate the paper trail nightmare the NCAA has imposed.”

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/billiken-...ken-club-meets/

[dneuner]

Maybe this is why it's taking so long....

"... including a 70-person eligibility center that has been using the NCAA's offsite warehouse for office space."

Yes, you read correctly. According to NCAA officials, they have outgrown their current building by over 200 people and the eligibility center isn't even a part of the main office.

Here's the full article, from SI:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/bask...d.ap/index.html

[Cowboy]

Maybe this is why it's taking so long....

"... including a 70-person eligibility center that has been using the NCAA's offsite warehouse for office space."

Yes, you read correctly. According to NCAA officials, they have outgrown their current building by over 200 people and the eligibility center isn't even a part of the main office.

Here's the full article, from SI:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/bask...d.ap/index.html

-i saw that, pretty amazing

-what do those 70 people do that they can't figure out the ellis situation?!?!?!!?

[Guest BillikenReport]

Not sure if it was mentioned on here or not, but Ellis took the SAT a couple weeks ago and is waiting for the results.

I don't know if that has been reported anywhere outside of the message board on my site.

[Clock_Tower]

Not sure if it was mentioned on here or not, but Ellis took the SAT a couple weeks ago and is waiting for the results.

I don't know if that has been reported anywhere outside of the message board on my site.

Thanks Nate. Sounds like if he gets a certain score or better, he can make an argument that the English class be overlooked. Possibly the NCAA agreed to that or not. In any event, this situation might now be in CE's hands. Hope he did well.

Results nowadays are usually in a matter of weeks and not months. Anyone know how long results take?

[Westy03]

Thanks Nate. Sounds like if he gets a certain score or better, he can make an argument that the English class be overlooked. Possibly the NCAA agreed to that or not. In any event, this situation might now be in CE's hands. Hope he did well.

Results nowadays are usually in a matter of weeks and not months. Anyone know how long results take?

He took the test about a month ago so he should have the results but who knows.

[davidnark]

Not sure if it was mentioned on here or not, but Ellis took the SAT a couple weeks ago and is waiting for the results.

I don't know if that has been reported anywhere outside of the message board on my site.

Nate, what is the upside of a foreign kid taking the SAT? If his score is high enough does this controversial class no longer matter b/c of the sliding scale system?

[slufanskip]

I'm sure he can get into Memphis or USC and then just transfer to SLU

[dneuner]

At what point does Majerus redshirt the kid so he doesn't loose that year of eligibility? Make him your redshirt this year and let him start next season.

[davidnark]

Assuming you could redshirt Ellis and get last semester back, it might make sense to redshirt Ellis this season and then Remekun next season.

[doowop]

Assuming you could redshirt Ellis and get last semester back, it might make sense to redshirt Ellis this season and then Remekun next season.

CE may have a chance to play pro ball in Australia. He might not want to redshirt.

[ACE]

CE may have a chance to play pro ball in Australia. He might not want to redshirt.

Yeah, we will need to get him on the court as soon as possible. I don't think he would be interested in coming all this way to redshirt. He will really be needed when the conference schedule begins.

[bonwich]

Is he allowed and/or does he have the opportunity to play organized ball in Oz while he's waiting for the great gods of the NCAA to get off their butts and smile upon him?

[slu72 fan]

Is it possible that he enrolls and participates 2nd semester and then sits out a 1st semester in his next 3 years? That way he would be available for 4 years of conference play, the majority of games are played in the 2nd semester, and any post-season tournaments we may get into in the future.

[Guest BillikenReport]

I don't think there's any chance Ellis would redshirt this season once he makes it to campus. He'll be one of the best players on the team. If he misses a few games at the beginning of the career, it's not a big deal. What is key is that Ellis is a Billiken for the next few years. He's a key piece of SLU's future.

As far as the SAT score goes, I believe that a high enough score should satisfy whatever the NCAA is looking for.

I was talking to someone close to the team last night and was told that Cory Remekun and Jon Smith have made a lot of strides recently and have come a long way since this summer when they first arrived on campus. Remekun is going to start tonight's game in place of Willie, who missed a few practices with an injury (but should be OK).

[MB73]

Is he allowed and/or does he have the opportunity to play organized ball in Oz while he's waiting for the great gods of the NCAA to get off their butts and smile upon him?

Ellis is the key. 6'8" 240, can post up or shoot from outside. Son of a pro.

We do not know how good Ellis really is, but to me getting him in is the difference between RM being on schedule to turn this thing around. Or not.

Reed is the only big man we have that RM brought to the program. I think losing Thompson is huge, he was a big body down low, had some tools though not all of them... now if we lose Ellis, we are behind schedule, disappointing.

Guards are important, but plentiful. The BIGS are the difference makers, and SLU has not been able to get them over the yrs, for many reasons, we were all hoping RM could get it done.

Ellis situation is pivotal, make-or-break.

[Guest BillikenReport]

Ellis is the key. 6'8" 240, can post up or shoot from outside. Son of a pro.

We do not know how good Ellis really is, but to me getting him in is the difference between RM being on schedule to turn this thing around. Or not.

Reed is the only big man we have that RM brought to the program. I think losing Thompson is huge, he was a big body down low, had some tools though not all of them... now if we lose Ellis, we are behind schedule, disappointing.

Guards are important, but plentiful. The BIGS are the difference makers, and SLU has not been able to get them over the yrs, for many reasons, we were all hoping RM could get it done.

Ellis situation is pivotal, make-or-break.

MB73,

I agree with you on most of this, but I don't think it's a make-or-break situation.

I think Ellis is the difference between between a league contender next year or having to wait until the following season when Kwamain, Conklin, Willie and Cassity are seniors.

I do believe Ellis is a difference-maker and, if his situation doesn't work out, it could also hurt recruiting in Australia going forward.

[MB73]

MB73,

I agree with you on most of this, but I don't think it's a make-or-break situation.

I think Ellis is the difference between between a league contender next year or having to wait until the following season when Kwamain, Conklin, Willie and Cassity are seniors.

I do believe Ellis is a difference-maker and, if his situation doesn't work out, it could also hurt recruiting in Australia going forward.

We are not that far apart.

I say that if Ellis is not playing 2nd semester, then we are "behind plan" to turn the program around.

If RM then manages to bring in two very high quality BIGS next fall, with some "muscle" (since WR is not that type) then OK, maybe we will be back on plan; but that would be difficult, once you get "behind"...

[Guest BillikenReport]

We are not that far apart.

I say that if Ellis is not playing 2nd semester, then we are "behind plan" to turn the program around.

If RM then manages to bring in two very high quality BIGS next fall, with some "muscle" (since WR is not that type) then OK, maybe we will be back on plan; but that would be difficult, once you get "behind"...

If Ellis is not playing in the second semester, I would bet that he's playing professionally in Australia.

I wouldn't be surprised if SLU added another big man for next season, but I think that player will be more of a developmental-type guy than an immediate-impact guy. Now I do believe that both Remekun and Smith will contribute much more as sophomores after a year of practice and strength training, so I don't think it would be essential to add an impact big in this recruiting class.

[MB73]

If Ellis is not playing in the second semester, I would bet that he's playing professionally in Australia.

I wouldn't be surprised if SLU added another big man for next season, but I think that player will be more of a developmental-type guy than an immediate-impact guy. Now I do believe that both Remekun and Smith will contribute much more as sophomores after a year of practice and strength training, so I don't think it would be essential to add an impact big in this recruiting class.

Respectfully, now we are further apart.

Smith and Remekun are not "BIGS".

We need BIGS, 6'9"-6'10" with muscle, something we have almost never had... and depth.

Losing Thompson, and if Ellis does not show, we are behind schedule.

Thought RM would deliver more, thought recruiting and developing big men were his forte.

I know you have some good inside info, if you "wouldn't be surprised if we add another big man", that concerns me... I would think we definitely would be looking for another big man if Ellis shows, and TWO if he does not, to get to the next level. IMO.

[Guest BillikenReport]

Remekun is 6-8 and has a good build. While he's not the 6-11 kid every team is hoping to bring in, he can be a good power forward/undersized center down the road. (Smith, for the record, is an undersized power forward with really good athleticism who needs to get stronger and put on a lot of weight or needs to work on his guard skills to contribute more as a small forward).

There aren't a lot of muscular 6-10 kids who choose to play in the Atlantic 10 Conference out of high school. Those guys are mostly developed in the A-10. That's the kind of player Willie Reed could turn out to be and, even though he's two inches shorter, Remekun could turn out to be.

When SLU signs Dwayne Evans and Mike McCall next week, all of the Billikens' 13 scholarships for next season will be accounted for when Cody Ellis makes it to campus. So if SLU is going to recruit a big man for next season, and I'm sure they will be trying to add one, the coaches have to do it without a scholarship to hand out.

Assuming someone leaves in the offseason I wouldn't be surprised to see SLU recruit another post player. But more than likely that guy will not be an immediate impact player. It will probably be a guy who they can build up over time who can be an impact player as a third-year sophomore or a junior.

[Quality Is Job 1]

When SLU signs Dwayne Evans and Mike McCall next week, all of the Billikens' 13 scholarships for next season will be accounted for when Cody Ellis makes it to campus. So if SLU is going to recruit a big man for next season, and I'm sure they will be trying to add one, the coaches have to do it without a scholarship to hand out.

Isn't Paul Eckerle's scholarship still subject to be given to someone else?

[Clock_Tower]

Respectfully, now we are further apart.

Smith and Remekun are not "BIGS".

We need BIGS, 6'9"-6'10" with muscle, something we have almost never had... and depth.

Losing Thompson, and if Ellis does not show, we are behind schedule.

Thought RM would deliver more, thought recruiting and developing big men were his forte.

I know you have some good inside info, if you "wouldn't be surprised if we add another big man", that concerns me... I would think we definitely would be looking for another big man if Ellis shows, and TWO if he does not, to get to the next level. IMO.

MB. Maybe you live out of town and/or could not make to tonight's game. If you did go to the game, however, you would have seen that both Smith and Remekun are big kids. They look every bit of 6'8" and both look like forwards and not really close at all to being guards. Frankly I was expecting guys with smaller and skinnier frames and guys more like that of a guard. Neither look like anyone SLU has had in years. A Justin Johnson type frame (Frosh and Soph years) is what I had been expecting. I was sure wrong. These guys both have alot of development left but both have true size and potential. Yes, WR is even bigger, but if I recall correctly, Nate had described CR or JS as being a smaller WR. Now, I understand better and would agree. Believe JJ grew to 6'8" and added muscle to his frame, but JS and CR will be even bigger and already are more skilled.

[NH]

Remekun is 6-8 and has a good build. While he's not the 6-11 kid every team is hoping to bring in, he can be a good power forward/undersized center down the road. (Smith, for the record, is an undersized power forward with really good athleticism who needs to get stronger and put on a lot of weight or needs to work on his guard skills to contribute more as a small forward).

There aren't a lot of muscular 6-10 kids who choose to play in the Atlantic 10 Conference out of high school. Those guys are mostly developed in the A-10. That's the kind of player Willie Reed could turn out to be and, even though he's two inches shorter, Remekun could turn out to be.

When SLU signs Dwayne Evans and Mike McCall next week, all of the Billikens' 13 scholarships for next season will be accounted for when Cody Ellis makes it to campus. So if SLU is going to recruit a big man for next season, and I'm sure they will be trying to add one, the coaches have to do it without a scholarship to hand out.

Assuming someone leaves in the offseason I wouldn't be surprised to see SLU recruit another post player. But more than likely that guy will not be an immediate impact player. It will probably be a guy who they can build up over time who can be an impact player as a third-year sophomore or a junior.

This team is gonna have a chance to do some real damage specially if Ellis gets qualified. I like Salecich a lot. Jordan provided a spark. Smith and Remekun are long and athletic but raw. Femi is a tough kid who will be a good player. I think once Reid gets some confidence hell be good.

[moytoy12]

WTF? This kid can get cleared, but Ellis can't? http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4610060

I mean, I know why the kid is getting cleared before Ellis (UK), but his history and possible transgressions seem much more serious.