SEARCH:
Print Text size Comment
Email this
ECU’s Ellison slams home good first impression

The form has errors highlighted in red, please review these entries and try again!



(Separate multiple addresses with commas)




privacy policy | visitor agreement
COMMENTS (3)

ECU’s Ellison slams home good first impression



By Tony Castleberry
The Daily Reflector


Monday, October 26, 2009

One can get tired just watching Wakefield Ellison during layup drills.

Ellison, a 6-foot-5 freshman guard on the East Carolina men's basketball team, has not been taking any plays off in the preseason, even during the sometimes monotonous three-man weave layup exercises. The man who dunks the ball pretty much every time it's his turn to go to the basket in layup drills is making a good first impression with the Pirates, although he's doing so without changing his approach to the game.

During Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage in Minges Coliseum, Ellison was arguably the best player on the floor, displaying his offensive versatility by scoring inside and on the perimeter, particularly during the early portion of the scrimmage.

“It felt good to go out there and compete and just play like I've always played my entire life,” said Ellison, one of a group of four Pirate freshmen on scholarship who have all impressed at times since practice officially started Oct. 17. “That's the biggest difference between high school and college is finding your comfort level.

“But I'm just playing as hard as I can. I'm going to do whatever it takes to be on the floor.”

Ellison scored 18 points in the scrimmage, accumulating points on putback layups, mid-range jumpers, free throws and three 3-pointers. His defending didn't stand out the way his offensive aggressiveness did, but it's clear Ellison has the potential to play valuable minutes right away for Mack McCarthy's club.

For that to happen however, Ellison will need to do what McCarthy is asking of all his players — commit to playing defense and operate under the team concept at all times.

“Some guys are measuring their worth in their points, and I'm not talking about Wakefield in particular,” McCarthy said. “Some guys don't understand what we're looking for so that we can win, which is guarding somebody, executing and making each other better offensively.”

Although his collegiate career is still in its embryonic stage, Ellison has been pleased thus far with his matriculation to ECU. Moving from the mountains of his native Asheville to the warm coastal plain of Greenville was certainly a big change for Ellison, but he's embracing the switch and finding his sea legs day-by-day on and off the court.

“It's different from back home with the weather and everything, but I've been enjoying my time down here,” said Ellison, who averaged 25.1 points per game last season at Asheville High and won Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors.

Contact Tony Castleberry at tcastleberry@coxnc.com or (252) 329-9591.

Your comments

ivan k. owens

10/30/2009 09:36:25 AM

Wakefield comes from a strong foundation of family life, good habits,strong work ethics and strong attention to academic achievement.We have watched him from early years develop into a fine young man.We always knew he would do well and look forward to to his succsss at ECU.We are so proud of him! Ivan and Joyce

Suggest removal 

TERESA ROBERTSON

10/27/2009 04:02:08 PM

Wakefield, best wishes and remember the BEST IS YET TO COME.

KEEP PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK.

Suggest removal 

spirit2468@netzero.com

10/27/2009 03:26:02 PM

I have followed Wakefield for many years and I know that he has great potential on the court as well as academically. I look forward to seeing him succeed his four years at ECU and know that the best is yet to come for him.
High Point, NC

Suggest removal 
Post a Comment

Comments that include profanity, personal attacks or any other inappropriate material are prohibited. By using our site you agree to our ground rules and our terms of use. There could be a delay of up to 5 minutes before your comment appears.

The form has errors highlighted in red, please review these entries and try again!


INSIDE Sports

Nate Summers
ECU Football tweets

Follow updates from practice, home games and on the road


Blaargh!!
David Singleton

Pirate fan offer's thoughts in online journal.


TOP CARS
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1993, 5.2L V8 16V....(more)
  • Toyota Yaris, 2008, 1.5L I4 16V MPFI DOHC, Subcompact Car....(more)
  • Chrysler Town & Country, 2001, 3.8L V6 12V MPFI OHV, Passenger Van....(more)
- View All Top Cars -
- Place An Ad -

The Daily Reflector | Weather | Sports | Look | Business | Opinion | Classifieds | Site Map
Cars | Jobs | Homes

Copyright 2009 The Daily Reflector All rights reserved. - The Daily Reflector - Our Partners

By using this service, you accept the terms of our visitor agreement and privacy policy. About our ads.
Registered site users, you may edit your profile.
Having trouble? Visit our help & FAQ