Thursday, December 8
Boulder, Colo.
7:00 PM
Colorado
vs
Colorado State
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Brooks: Ellis, No. 18 Buffs Await Non-Conference Test From CSU
December 07, 2016 | Women's Basketball, B.G. Brooks
Intense in-state rivalry resumes Thursday night at Coors Events Center
BOULDER – As an incoming freshman in 2015, Makenzie Ellis showed up at Colorado with enough grit in her game to earn three early season starts for the women's basketball team. Then something not so totally unexpected occurred: the newness of all things freshman caught up with her.
With her play becoming sporadic, Ellis dropped out of the starting lineup and saw her overall minutes decrease. A taxing journey to return ensued but Ellis was up for it; her play stabilized once again, her minutes increased, and she started the Buffs' final six regular-season Pac-12 Conference games.
Now comes her sophomore year and, in the wake of CU's coaching change, a sense of starting over. But for Ellis and her teammates, the start couldn't be fresher. The Buffs are unbeaten (8-0) and ranked No. 18 nationally (AP).
Ellis has been a solid starter in all eight wins, and the key word here is "solid." It highlights new coach JR Payne's characterization of Ellis' early play. Her role in Payne's scheme is that of an "energy player," one who "rebounds consistently. And a lot of times she's drawing our opponent's best post player as a defensive matchup," Payne said.
"Every day she's super positive, she's upbeat, she works hard, doesn't drag . . . she's just great to have around."
Ellis explains her "energizer" role like this: "It's doing the little things, taking charges on defense, creating steals . . . on offense, doing the little things, being there for my teammates, creating open shots and getting big rebounds as well."
Her numbers in CU's two most recent blowout wins – 112-54 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 85-56 vs. Idaho State – haven't been eye-popping but then neither have her minutes. As Payne explains, if you're winning in non-conference play by an average of 25.8 points no one's minutes are likely what they will be come January and February during the grind of the Pac-12 schedule.
"So many of these games have been opportunities to play a lot of people," Payne said. ". . . even people who typically might play more are not playing as many minutes. Because everyone is playing, which is great for everyone."
ELLIS, A 6-2 FORWARD, PLAYED 20 MINUTES against Southeastern Louisiana, 14 against Idaho State, with her court time against SELA closer to her eight-game average (19 minutes). In those two wins, she's totaled 15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 blocked shots, 3 assists and 1 turnover.
For the season she's averaging 5 points and 4 rebounds for a team that features four double-digit scorers – all backcourt players, by the way. Ellis is an accurate shooter – 56 percent from the field, 57 percent from 3-point range – who believes she's looking more for her shots this season but also thinks she has become more selective this season with her shots.
"Yes . . . and also looking and being ready (to shoot)," she said. "I think last year I would take the shot even if I wasn't ready or looking for it. This year I am, which is making me more consistent.
"I can still do better at that. And I want to continue to do what I did last year – being solid on defense and getting on the glass as well."
What Payne sees in Ellis' offensive ability is an understanding of "what she should be doing, where her shots are coming from. And she doesn't force anything. She takes good shots, she's always on balance and really just does what she's supposed to do offensively – which is showing up in the percentages."
Plus, added Payne, Ellis' overall game has matured to the point where "she doesn't ever really force things. When she's open she shoots it. She gives great effort on the glass, so she's able to produce from that standpoint. But yeah, her biggest strength is being able to do the little things like that."
The Buffs have passed their biggest non-conference test to date – a 79-69 upset last month of then-No. 15/19 Kentucky. Big Test No. 2 looms on Thursday: A visit to the Coors Events Center (7 p.m., Pac-12 Networks) by in-state rival Colorado State.
The Rams (5-3) are fresh from a 58-47 home win against Northern Colorado on Sunday. Last season in Fort Collins, they defeated the Buffs 64-63 in a game that saw CU's Kennedy Leonard and CSU's Ellen Nystrom trade baskets in the final 90 seconds.
LEONARD'S LAYUP WITH 3.6 SECONDS to play put the Buffs, who had rallied from 10 points back in the third quarter, up 63-62. But Nystrom, who like Leonard is back, took an inbounds pass and hit a 13-foot jumper with one second remaining for the 64-63 win.
From there, CU's and CSU's seasons went in wildly different directions. The Buffs would finish 7-23 and lose their coach (Linda Lappe), the Rams would finish 31-2 (18-0 in the Mountain West) but lose to San Francisco 48-45 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Payne, of course, hasn't coached in the intrastate rivalry game but CSU's success isn't lost on her. "I know they've got a handful of players returning from last year when they won 30 games," Payne said.
"They're a team that's had a lot of success and expects to be successful. Certainly they won't be intimidated by us or the name on our jerseys. I think it'll be a very tough game."
That "expecting to be successful" part of Payne's description of the Rams also applies to her Buffs. Ellis and her teammates are reveling in the confidence instilled by Payne and her staff, not to mention the 8-0 start.
"Last year I think (confidence) is one of the big things we were lacking," Ellis said. "Now you can see leaders stepping up and everyone being confident in each other and themselves."
I asked Ellis if there is more cohesion on this team. "Yes, I think there is, even though we've got pretty much the same people," she said. "There's more of a unity on this team now."
Ellis also claimed the Buffs' 8-0 start hasn't surprised her: "No, I don't think so. I knew that just making a couple of changes would bring a lot (of improvement). I would say that a couple of wins were surprising, but I definitely expected a lot out of this team."
More is expected still – and that includes Thursday night, continuing through early March.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
With her play becoming sporadic, Ellis dropped out of the starting lineup and saw her overall minutes decrease. A taxing journey to return ensued but Ellis was up for it; her play stabilized once again, her minutes increased, and she started the Buffs' final six regular-season Pac-12 Conference games.
Now comes her sophomore year and, in the wake of CU's coaching change, a sense of starting over. But for Ellis and her teammates, the start couldn't be fresher. The Buffs are unbeaten (8-0) and ranked No. 18 nationally (AP).
Ellis has been a solid starter in all eight wins, and the key word here is "solid." It highlights new coach JR Payne's characterization of Ellis' early play. Her role in Payne's scheme is that of an "energy player," one who "rebounds consistently. And a lot of times she's drawing our opponent's best post player as a defensive matchup," Payne said.
"Every day she's super positive, she's upbeat, she works hard, doesn't drag . . . she's just great to have around."
Ellis explains her "energizer" role like this: "It's doing the little things, taking charges on defense, creating steals . . . on offense, doing the little things, being there for my teammates, creating open shots and getting big rebounds as well."
Her numbers in CU's two most recent blowout wins – 112-54 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 85-56 vs. Idaho State – haven't been eye-popping but then neither have her minutes. As Payne explains, if you're winning in non-conference play by an average of 25.8 points no one's minutes are likely what they will be come January and February during the grind of the Pac-12 schedule.
"So many of these games have been opportunities to play a lot of people," Payne said. ". . . even people who typically might play more are not playing as many minutes. Because everyone is playing, which is great for everyone."
ELLIS, A 6-2 FORWARD, PLAYED 20 MINUTES against Southeastern Louisiana, 14 against Idaho State, with her court time against SELA closer to her eight-game average (19 minutes). In those two wins, she's totaled 15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 blocked shots, 3 assists and 1 turnover.
For the season she's averaging 5 points and 4 rebounds for a team that features four double-digit scorers – all backcourt players, by the way. Ellis is an accurate shooter – 56 percent from the field, 57 percent from 3-point range – who believes she's looking more for her shots this season but also thinks she has become more selective this season with her shots.
"Yes . . . and also looking and being ready (to shoot)," she said. "I think last year I would take the shot even if I wasn't ready or looking for it. This year I am, which is making me more consistent.
"I can still do better at that. And I want to continue to do what I did last year – being solid on defense and getting on the glass as well."
What Payne sees in Ellis' offensive ability is an understanding of "what she should be doing, where her shots are coming from. And she doesn't force anything. She takes good shots, she's always on balance and really just does what she's supposed to do offensively – which is showing up in the percentages."
Plus, added Payne, Ellis' overall game has matured to the point where "she doesn't ever really force things. When she's open she shoots it. She gives great effort on the glass, so she's able to produce from that standpoint. But yeah, her biggest strength is being able to do the little things like that."
The Buffs have passed their biggest non-conference test to date – a 79-69 upset last month of then-No. 15/19 Kentucky. Big Test No. 2 looms on Thursday: A visit to the Coors Events Center (7 p.m., Pac-12 Networks) by in-state rival Colorado State.
The Rams (5-3) are fresh from a 58-47 home win against Northern Colorado on Sunday. Last season in Fort Collins, they defeated the Buffs 64-63 in a game that saw CU's Kennedy Leonard and CSU's Ellen Nystrom trade baskets in the final 90 seconds.
LEONARD'S LAYUP WITH 3.6 SECONDS to play put the Buffs, who had rallied from 10 points back in the third quarter, up 63-62. But Nystrom, who like Leonard is back, took an inbounds pass and hit a 13-foot jumper with one second remaining for the 64-63 win.
From there, CU's and CSU's seasons went in wildly different directions. The Buffs would finish 7-23 and lose their coach (Linda Lappe), the Rams would finish 31-2 (18-0 in the Mountain West) but lose to San Francisco 48-45 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Payne, of course, hasn't coached in the intrastate rivalry game but CSU's success isn't lost on her. "I know they've got a handful of players returning from last year when they won 30 games," Payne said.
"They're a team that's had a lot of success and expects to be successful. Certainly they won't be intimidated by us or the name on our jerseys. I think it'll be a very tough game."
That "expecting to be successful" part of Payne's description of the Rams also applies to her Buffs. Ellis and her teammates are reveling in the confidence instilled by Payne and her staff, not to mention the 8-0 start.
"Last year I think (confidence) is one of the big things we were lacking," Ellis said. "Now you can see leaders stepping up and everyone being confident in each other and themselves."
I asked Ellis if there is more cohesion on this team. "Yes, I think there is, even though we've got pretty much the same people," she said. "There's more of a unity on this team now."
Ellis also claimed the Buffs' 8-0 start hasn't surprised her: "No, I don't think so. I knew that just making a couple of changes would bring a lot (of improvement). I would say that a couple of wins were surprising, but I definitely expected a lot out of this team."
More is expected still – and that includes Thursday night, continuing through early March.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
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