INDIANAPOLIS — A well-timed steal is a great way to endear yourself to your defensive-minded coach, and sophomore guard Jordan Ellerbee stayed in position to take the ball away despite his 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame.
The Philadelphia native came to Butler basketball after establishing himself as a go-to scorer during his lone season at Florida Gulf Coast. Eight games into his collegiate career, Ellerbee exploded for 42 points in an overtime loss to Kennesaw State. The former three-star recruit showed he is a three-level scorer, and he used his quickness to create plays on both ends of the floor Wednesday during the scrimmage portion of a Butler practice open to media.
Ellerbee jumped into the passing lane for a steal, beat two defenders down the court and elevated for a one-handed slam. Offensively, Ellerbee has the makings of a do-it-all guard, setting up teammates and confidently knocking down 3-pointers. As the lightest member of the team, turning defense into offense will help the combo guard stay on the court during rugged Big East play.
“I feel like the adjustment has been great,” Ellerbee said. “Especially with this staff. Ronald Nored and the rest of the staff they’ve really helped me prepare for the Big East. … I’m just going day-by-day and improving everything in my game. I talk to the coaches daily about what I need to work on. They give their feedback and I just try to be better the next day.”
The Bulldogs are three months away from their season-opening exhibition against Indiana State. Nored has plenty of time to install his system and rotation minutes will be earned during these summer sessions. The Dawgs want to play fast under Nored, and the former defensive stalwart under Brad Stevens knows what it takes to play hardnosed defense at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Point guard Jalen Jackson has the strength to guard positions 1 through 3. Ellerbee is an explosive athlete, but he doesn’t have the physicality of Jackson, so he’ll need to play to his strengths in order to be an effective defender.
“You’ve got to use your quickness, and you’ve got to use your ability to crawl into the ball,” Nored said of Ellerbee. “If you’re not the strongest guy and you’re sitting and waiting, if you’re a sitting duck, stronger guys can overpower you. If you take the fight to them, then you can put yourself in a good position to have success defensively. … He can impact the game defensively, and we want to see him do that more and more.”
Ellerbee has the versatility to play alongside Jackson, but he’s also a capable playmaker. He averaged just 2.1 assists last season, but he recorded a season-high six assists in a win over North Alabama, and he recorded four or more assists eight times in 34 games. Ellerbee said he doesn’t put much stock into the point guard or combo guard label, adding that he’s just focused on helping the team win.
Once former Lawrence North star Azavier “Stink” Robinson entered the transfer portal, Butler’s backup point guard spot became a glaring need. Butler added combo guards Ellerbee and Mississippi transfer Eduardo Klafke via the transfer portal and signed former Noblesville guard Baron Walker.
All are capable playmakers, but Ellerbee’s scoring prowess makes him an intriguing option as a primary ballhandler. Expect Jackson to have the ball in his hands a lot, but Ellerbee’s ability to improve his point guard skills will be worth monitoring as players fight for minutes in Nored’s rotation.
“We brought him here to be himself and do what he does,” Nored said. “For him it’s the decision making. There’s a lot of different concepts that we’re doing offensively. To be able to understand those decisions, where the ball should go when, what he should do, how he can get open and create openings for other people is really important.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: This guard’s two-way growth will be crucial for Butler basketball’s backcourt
Reporting by Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
