South Carolina basketball fans were having a good evening. Neither team was in action on the court, but Joyce Edwards, the nation’s #2-ranked prospect in the class, announced her commitment to stay home and play for Coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks. Edwards signed a National Letter of Intent as part of her commitment ceremony, so her commitment is official.
A couple of hours later, that good evening turned into a great one as South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris did something that hadn’t been done in Columbia in a long time.
On Wednesday night, the Gamecock head coach secured a commitment from a consensus 4-star point guard for the first time since either PJ Dozier in 2015 (if one considers him a point guard) or Bruce Ellington in 2010. Hickory, North Carolina native (and consensus top-100 player) Eli Ellis announced his commitment to the South Carolina basketball program for the class of 2025.
NEWS: 2025 four-star PG Eli Ellis tells me he’s committed to South Carolina.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) November 16, 2023
Story w/ quotes: https://t.co/whIs2CF3HM pic.twitter.com/xUNuaw3wU8
Ellis, one of the most famous players in the class of 2025 because of his social media presence (over 300,000 followers on Instagram), is a dynamic scorer who possesses a good outside shot and great touch around the basket. He is not a big guard or overly athletic, but his high skill level and aggressive play style give him the ability to develop into one of the top scorers in the ’25 cycle.
Ellis joins 4-star in-state forward Hayden Assemian in the class of 2025 for the Gamecocks. The two had previously shared a visit weekend on campus checking out the South Carolina basketball program.
Ellis chose to commit to the Gamecocks over four other finalists. Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, VCU, and College of Charleston were the other teams that were in on the talented social media dynamo.
You can watch some of his film here.