Quinn Ellis Stands Out at St. John's, Earns Praise from Pitino

St. John's started the season strongly under Rick Pitino, and a large part of that success is tied to playmaker Quinn Ellis. The 23-year-old recorded 27 assists in his first three games, stole the ball 12 times to take possession from opponents, and lost it only twice. Ellis also scored 21 points in those games.

In the clear win over Colgate, Ellis's rim attack put him at the top of the SportsCenter Top 10 list. On offense, he showed a talent that could compete with US players anywhere on the court.

After the game, Pitino described Ellis as the smartest basketball player in the United States. The head coach said he had watched about ten hours of video on the player before adding him to the roster, and that he is much stronger with St. John's than he was during his time with Olimpia Milano. Pitino noted that in Milan, veteran players constantly wanted to shoot, while at St. John's the team structure is given great importance.

Ellis said he does not exaggerate the praise he receives. He said he is happy not to lose the ball and enjoys setting up good shooting positions for his teammates. The Red Storm's game against Syracuse at Madison Square Garden on Sunday is seen as one of the most serious tests of the season so far.