Eli Ellis's YNG Dreamerz advance to OTE finals after sweeping Cold Hearts 

Eli Ellis, the No. 70 recruit in the Class of 2025 (according to On3's Industry Rankings) and South Carolina signee, led his team, the YNG Dreamerz, to the Overtime Elite finals after grabbing a 90-73 win in Game 3 of the semi-finals series against the Cold Hearts on Sunday.

Eli Ellis continued his impressive run of form after he scored 42 points on 57.1% shooting, including 50.0% from beyond the arc in Game 2. He also had two assists, four rebounds and one steal in the game. In Game 3, the 6-foot-1 shooting guard scored 18 points, dished out seven assists, and grabbed three boards. He shot 7-for-14 from the field but had a poor night from beyond the arc, going 1-5.

The OTE MVP averaged an impressive 32.1 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 31.5 minutes per game in the 2024-25 regular season. Ellis's brother Isaac Ellis, starred in Game 3 of the semi-finals, finishing with 29 points, three assists, five rebounds and two steals while shooting 57.9% from the field. He also made 6 of 11 shots from beyond the arc.

Another player who scored in double digits for the YNG Dreamerz in the series-clinching game was Kohl Rosario. Rosario scored 16 points, dished out two assists, grabbed four rebounds and stole the ball five times. Eli Ellis and the YNG Dreamerz will now face, Arkansas signee and No. 11 recruit in the Class of 2025 (per On3's industry rankings), Meleek Thomas and the City Reapers in the finals.

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Why did Eli Ellis choose South Carolina?

Ranked at the 21st spot in the shooting guard position and fourth in North Carolina (per On3), Ellis had offers from programs including Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.

However, he chose to sign with South Carolina on November 18, 2024, a year after he was offered a scholarship by the program on September 25, 2023. He spoke about his decision with On3 after committing to the Gamecocks in November.

“I chose South Carolina because my whole life I’ve been an underdog,” Ellis said. “That’s where I thrive and that’s when I’m my best. South Carolina are the underdogs and everybody loves an underdog. I also chose USC because of how much it reminded me of home. On my visit, it felt like I had to go there.”

Eli Ellis, a four-star recruit, will be joined by incoming freshmen, three-star recruits EJ Walker, Grant Polk and Hayden Assemian on Lamont Paris's team next season.