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Boo Ellis

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Not to be confused with Bo Ellis, a professional basketball player in the 1970s.

Boo Ellis
Personal information
Born(1936-02-11)February 11, 1936
DiedMay 6, 2010(2010-05-06) (aged 74)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolHamilton (Hamilton, Ohio)
CollegeNiagara (1955–1958)
NBA draft1958: 3rd round, 16th overall pick
Selected by the Minneapolis Lakers
Playing career1958–1966
PositionPower forward
Number23, 12, 30
Career history
1958–1960Minneapolis Lakers
1960–1962Wilkes-Barre Barons
1962–1963Allentown Jets
1963–1966Wilmington Blue Bombers
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points607 (5.1 ppg)
Rebounds616 (5.2 rpg)
Assists86 (0.7 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Alex "Boo" Ellis (February 11, 1936 – May 6, 2010) was an American professional basketball player for the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1][2] Ellis played in the league for just the 1958–59 and 1959–60 seasons and averaged 5.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.[2]

Ellis grew up in Hamilton, Ohio, and attended Hamilton High School.[3] He led the school to 25–3 record and a 1954 state championship as a senior, garnering first team all-state and state tournament MVP honors that year.[3] Ellis then went on to play college basketball for Niagara University.

A 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 185 lb. forward/center, he quickly became a dominant force in both scoring and rebounding.[3] Since the rules back then did not allow freshmen to play varsity sports, Ellis had to wait until his sophomore year in 1955–56 to suit up officially for the Purple Eagles. In his three seasons, he accumulated 1,656 points and a still-standing school record 1,533 rebounds.[4] In his first season of eligibility, Ellis grabbed a school single season record 485 rebounds, only to break his own record the next two consecutive years with 522 and 526, respectively.[4] During a game against Kent State in his junior year, he recorded a 31-point, 31-rebound effort.[4] In Ellis' final season, he led NCAA Division I in rebounding and was named the Western New York Athlete of the Year.[5] He also guided the Purple Eagles to two National Invitation Tournament (NIT) berths in his three-year career.[4]

Following his standout collegiate career, the Minneapolis Lakers selected him as the first pick in the third round (16th overall) in the 1958 NBA draft.[2] After two NBA seasons, Ellis played six seasons in the Continental League and three with the Marcus Haynes Fabulous Magicians, a traveling professional team.[3] In his later life, Ellis worked as a security guard in his hometown of Hamilton.[3] He spent two and a half years of his life living with his daughter in Indianapolis, before succumbing the effects of a heart attack he had suffered two weeks earlier.[3] Ellis died on May 6, 2010, at age 74.[1][4]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

NBA

Source[2]

Regular season

Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1958–59 Minneapolis 72* 16.7 .430 .708 5.3 .8 5.9
1959–60 Minneapolis 46 14.6 .346 .671 5.1 .6 3.9
Career 118 15.9 .402 .695 5.2 .7 5.1
Playoffs
Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1959 Minneapolis 13* 19.6 .438 .581 7.2 1.2 6.8
1960 Minneapolis 3 12.0 .200 .500 4.0 .07 2.7
Career 16 18.2 .411 .564 6.6 1.1 6.0

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Alexander (Boo) Ellis". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, LLC. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d "Boo Ellis NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Conrad, Pete (May 8, 2010). "Hamilton basketball legend "Boo" Ellis dies". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Alex Ellis, NU's Leading Rebounder, Passes Away". PurpleEagles.com. Niagara University. May 7, 2010. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  5. ^ "2009–10 NCAA Men's Basketball Records" (PDF). 2009–10 NCAA Men's Basketball Media Guide. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
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