LYNNFIELD — He’s back.
Endicott College freshman Louis Ellis, a former two-sport standout at Lynnfield High, made the most of his first appearance on the men’s basketball team.
He made his debut in the Gulls’ opening game of the season against Regis at the Babson Invitational, helping the Gulls to a 75-70 win. He entered the game at the 11:34 mark of the first half with the score tied at 13-13 and made his first shot a memorable one, draining a 3-pointer to stretch the Gulls’ lead to 21-13.
Ellis also was a part of a history-making game the next day in the Gulls’ 90-80 win over No. 7 Babson, the defending NCAA Division III national champion. That win was the first time the Gulls had ever beaten an opponent ranked No. 7 or higher in program history.
Ellis spent the summer and much of the fall recovering from a Jones Fracture suffered July 14 during a routine basketball workout.
Common in pro athletes, a “Jones Fracture” is a break at the base of the fifth metatarsal, the bone that connects the small toe to the foot. It severely impacts a player’s ability to plant on the foot. Julian Edelman, Kevin Durant and Dez Bryant are just a few of the many pro athletes to have had a Jones Fracture.
“I went up and landed on the side of my foot and heard it crack,” said Ellis. “I got an x-ray and that confirmed it was a Jones Fracture. It was tough timing because Endicott workouts were beginning Sept. 15. It was the first broken bone of my life, the first real serious injury I have ever had. In the beginning it was really tough, especially right after the surgery, but as time went on it got easier
Ellis underwent surgery July 20 and spent about six weeks in a boot then began a rigorous schedule of physical therapy. By late summer he was finally off crutches and back on the outside courts at Lynnfield High, doing some light shooting. By late September, he was off and running, albeit slowly.
“I was lucky in that my rehab was about a week ahead of time at every point in time so I was able to work on some things that needed improvement anyway,” said Ellis. “After getting off the crutches, obviously I had zero to little mobility, but I still could shoot to keep my routine going.”
Ellis says he feels he is is back to 100 percent physically.
“At the start of the season, I working on getting my wind back and my side to side agility but other than that I feel I am back to 100 percent,” he said. “I’m lucky that I was brought in as a shooter, but Endicott likes the transition game so now, as one of the smaller guys on the team (at 6’4″) I need to work on side to side agility and my perimeter defense. I’m am still adjusting to the pace of the game and need to keep building up my stamina and I need to keep get in better shape, but I’m still catching up and so far I am feeling good.”
At Lynnfield, Ellis served as captain of the boys basketball and football teams. He finished his football career tied for the all-time lead in touchdown receptions with 14, tying the mark set by Jon Knee in 2014, earning kudos as the 2016 Cape Ann League Player of the Year.
In basketball, he averaged 16.7 points and six rebounds per game during his senior year last winter. He was a two-time Cape Ann League First Team all-star and was named the Lynnfield High 2016 Male Athlete of the Year as well as being named the Most Valuable Player in the Agganis All-Star game.
So far, Ellis says everything is going well at Endicott.
“I love the team and my teammates are all great guys to be around,” he said. “I really like the way Coach Bettencourt coaches, too. He is a guy who knows what he is talking about when it comes to basketball. He coaches hard, but it’s a really good learning experience having him as a coach.
“It was just awesome to hit my first college shot. I feel like it’s been so long since I fully played and for that to happen in my first game may seem like something little, but it meant a lot to me.”
Endicott currently is riding a 4-game win streak and is 6-2 heading into the 2-day Salem State tournament which begins tomorrow (Friday). Endicott is scheduled to play Colby College Friday at 5, then will take on Clark University on Saturday, also at 5.
Ellis has appeared in five of the eight Gulls’ game this season, averaging 3.6 minutes per game and 1.8 points per game. He ranks fourth on the team in 3-pointers on 3-for-7 shooting.
“I’m not playing a ton of minutes, but I expected that going in,” said Ellis, who took in the Pioneers vs. Rockport game with couple of his Endicott roommates last week.
Ellis said he was impressed with the Pioneers’ game.
“This team is going to be a really good team and we have a bunch of athletes who are incredible players,” he said. “It’s a different team and a different style for sure, but you can see how much athleticism they have and they are going to be alright. Coach MacKenzie is a great coach, and the guys all work hard, so I know they will have a successful season.”
