Reports: Henry Ellenson commits to Marquette

Courtesy 247Sports.com

Steve Wojciechowski reeled in one of the biggest fish in Marquette history, as Reggie Rankin and Lance Allan both reported this morning that Henry Ellenson committed to become a Golden Eagle over offers from Kentucky and Michigan State.

Ellenson, ranked No. 10 in 247Sports composite rankings, will follow in his family’s footsteps, of sorts. His father  John Ellenson spent a year at Marquette before transferring to Wisconsin when Rick Majerus left. Inversely, Henry’s borther Wally transferred to Marquette earlier this year after spending two years in Minnesota.

An elite recruit, it’s tough to find an apt comparison for his playing style. He’s tall and strong at 6-10, 180 pounds yet is more of a face-up shooter than a back-to-the basket big man. He’s much more athletic than Steve Novak, with tight handles not usually seen on a player of his frame.

“The unfair comparision? A pro. Future Hall-of-Famer, in fact. Dirk Nowitzki,” CBSSports Matt Norlander wrote earlier this summer. “Yes, completely unfair and all too common a habit for those looking to line up prospects with those who’ve long proven their greatness. You can see some of Dirk’s game in Ellenson, sure, but it was perhaps a case of groupthink that a handful of coaches — even Ellenson’s — made the parallel.”

Mike Hunt, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s beat writer, came away very impressed from his visit with Ellenson a few weeks ago week, writing the following in his blog:

“He might be the best basketball player to ever come out of Wisconsin, going back to Joe Wolf and, later, Latrell Sprewell. At almost 6-11, Ellenson handles the ball like a point guard and shoots the three like a two guard. He is freakishly quick defensively. You can’t guard him with a big man because he’ll take him outside and shoot. A smaller, quicker defender is going to get posted up.”

Be sure to check back for much more coverage throughout the day.