Modesto Christian’s Ellis commits to Southern Illinois Edwardsville

In hindsight, Christian Ellis said his mind was made up before he boarded the airplane for Illinois.

He just needed to see his new home. Walk the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus. Meet the people. Feel the weather on his California skin.

“I knew I was going there before I took my visit,” the Modesto Christian point guard said. “Last night, I was thinking about it. There’s no reason to wait any longer, especially if I really like this school. I was just making it harder on myself by waiting.”

Next stop: Edwardsville, Ill.

On Friday, Ellis made it official, accepting a full-ride scholarship to play for the Cougars, a Division I program that competes in the Ohio Valley Conference.

SIUE was just 6-22 overall and 3-13 in conference play in head coach Jon Harris’ first season on the bench.

Ellis, whose secondary address is the gymnasium, could be the missing link.

In four years at Modesto Christian, Ellis returned the Crusaders to a state power. Modesto Christian has reached the CIF State Open Division Final Four the last two seasons, each time falling in the Northern California regional final.

The Crusaders began the 2015-16 season as the top-ranked team in Northern California and finished No. 8 in Cal-Hi Sports’ final state ranking.

In his four seasons, Modesto Christian is 115-19 with back-to-back 30-win seasons and four Sac-Joaquin Section championships across three divisions.

Ellis averaged 12.1 points, six rebounds, 4.8 assists and two steals during his senior season. Those numbers fall in line with his career averages: 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and two steals.

“Very happy for a player who has done so much for (Modesto Christian basketball) the last four years,” Modesto Christian coach Richard Midgley tweeted.

Ellis took his official visit on Monday.

While he was enamored with the university and its culture during his two-day stay, Ellis said his decision was based on one factor: Harris’ consistency.

Harris began recruiting Ellis as an underclassman while he was an assistant coach under Cuonzo Martin at Cal.

“Usually you have an assistant investing most of the time into you,” Ellis said. “When it’s the head coach coming out to see you play or texting you before and after games, it plays a big role in showing you how much he really believes in you.”

On the whiteboard in his classroom, Midgley keeps a list of about 50 colleges from across the nation that have contacted him and visited the campus.

Harris’ presence can be felt all over that board. Midgley said Harris was drawn to Ellis’ physicality and on-court demeanor and thought it could marry well with the style of play in the Pac-12 Conference.

As Harris’ career progressed and he became a head coach, he never lost track of the 6-foot-3 dynamo, who closed his career as one of the top rebounding guards in Northern California.

When the head coach is hitting the recruiting trail, that says a lot about a program and the sincerity in their offer, Midgley says.

“When he got the head coaching job, he kept following Christian and you could tell he really wanted him,” Midgley added. “I was very encouraged by that. You had someone who has believed in you, who has seen the potential you have and knows what type of player you are for a long period of time. I think it’s going to be a great fit for Christian.”

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 1:27 PM with the headline "Modesto Christian’s Ellis commits to Southern Illinois Edwardsville."