“Deserves to be in an NBA rotation”: College hoops fans recognize Eli Ellis’ impressive basketball journey ahead of “full circle moment”

Class of 2025 guard Eli Ellis is steadily preparing for his collegiate career with South Carolina. He plays for YNG Dreamerz in Overtime Elite and has already gained significant attention for his skills.

Now in his third year with OTE, the 6-foot standout faced his former team, the City Reapers, on Friday in an 85-81 loss. Despite the defeat, Ellis delivered a near-triple-double performance with 36 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Before the game, OTE celebrated Ellis' accomplishments with a post on Instagram, showcasing his growth as a dynamic scorer.

"Bro always been a bucket 🔥 Gonna be a full-circle moment tomorrow when Eli plays the Reapers," they captioned the post.

Ellis' growing fan base has acknowledged his remarkable progress in the short span of his young career, as reflected in the comments section of the post.

"I hope he turns up in college. He's the goods," one fan said.

"I hope he turns up in college. He's the goods," one fan said.

"Back to Back MVP!," another shared.

"14, 2, and 4 as a sophomore on a championship team with the Thompsons is crazy," one user reminisced on Ellis' second-year stint that paired him with now NBA players Ausar and Amen Thompson.

"14, 2, and 4 as a sophomore on a championship team with the Thompsons is crazy," one user reminisced on Ellis' second-year stint that paired him with now NBA players Ausar and Amen Thompson.

Some fans are even calling for the Hickory, North Carolina native, to try his luck already in the NBA despite not yet getting a sniff of the collegiate ranks.

"Deserves to be in an NBA rotation," one user claimed.

"Deserves to be in an NBA rotation," one user claimed.

"Gonna be mini Peyton Prichard when he get to the league," another said comparing Ellis to the 2024 NBA champion.

"Gonna be mini Peyton Prichard when he gets to the league," another said, comparing Ellis to the 2024 NBA champion.

"League him," one user wrote.

With Ellis growing in popularity, fans can expect him to potentially reach an NIL deal with a top-name brand when he eventually enters college basketball.

Eli Ellis is heading to South Carolina in 2025

Ellis committed to play for Lamont Paris' Gamecocks in 2023. He cited his close connections with the coaching staff and feeling the campus as a home away from home as his top factors towards the decision.

Set to be one of the freshmen front-runners come 2025, Ellis will join the likes of Collin Murray-Boyles and Jamarii Thomas, barring any changes, in bolstering team success for South Carolina.