Duke added another piece to its budding 2019 class in the form of top-50 guard Boogie Ellis. The four-star prospect gave his verbal commitment to the Blue Devils on Friday night during a ceremony at his high school.
"After talking to God, my family, coach Marshawn, my family and my trainer I have decided to go to Duke University," said Ellis at the ceremony. "I felt that Coach K had a good vision for me and that I could be an impact player there.
"If one of the greatest coaches of all time is telling you that you could be a pro and come in and be an impact player I felt I had to take the opportunity."
One of the top breakout performers from the travel circuit this summer the 6-foot-2 combo guard from San Diego (Calif.) Mission Bay became a national priority in recent weeks thanks to his toughness, backcourt versatility and, most of all, ability to make shots. Ellis is more of a scoring guard than a playmaker but alongside Tre Jones, who is expected to return for his sophomore year after this season, Ellis should have no issues seeing his game translate to the college level.
Selecting Duke over UNC, Memphis, USC, San Diego State and Oregon, Ellis is a major win for the Blue Devils. After some talk earlier this fall about their misses, Ellis fills a major need in Durham and is a nice win considering how late Duke got involved.
Valued most for his shot making skills, Ellis is the type of guard that can take over a game with his perimeter shooting. He led the Oakland Soldiers to the semifinals of the Nike Peach Jam while putting up an impressive 17.2 points (46% from three), 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in Nike's EYBL. He also finished top-five on the swoosh circuit in made 3-point jumpers, converting nearly 2.5 per game.
The second commitment in the 2019 class for the Blue Devils, Ellis will be joined by five-star wing Wendell Moore next fall and the duo is enough to rank 13th nationally in the 2019 team rankings.
More is needed with the expected departures of freshmen Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cameron Reddish as five-stars Vernon Carey, Isaiah Stewart and Matt Hurt remain their top priorities.
