Cody Ellis

Tuesday was a good day for the SLU program with the news that power forward Cody Ellis had finally been cleared to play for the Billikens by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
What an ordeal that must have been, but I give credit to the young man for his persistence in making this day happen. At last night's game, I also made it a point to give SLU academic coordinator Janet Oberle a big hug for the work she put into Cody's situation.
Cody is expected to be here pretty soon and suit up for the Billikids.
It was a good day.
As for Cody's impact on the team, I have two thoughts.

Thought #1: (The excited SLU fan)

Cody Ellis is a potential game-changer for the SLU program, especially in the future. Cody is a big body at 6'8" and 240 pounds and he can really shoot the basketball. He has a nice skill set for a big man, which comes in handy with opposing teams now holding team meetings around Willie Reed in the low post area. Cody has the ability to stretch defenses with his shooting, thus opening things up for Willie down low or Kwamain Mitchell's penetrating drives to the basket. He is a very talented young man with a lot of international experience. For a program like ours to get quality size is truly critical for any future success we may enjoy. He is a great fit for Rick's offensive schemes.

Thought #2: (The more realistic basketball lifer)

As excited as I am to have Cody Ellis in a Billikens' uniform, my enthusiasm is also tempered with a dose of reality. I am not going to put great expectations on Cody right away because he has missed so much. If it happens, I will be overjoyed, but to ask him to step in and be an immediate force would be unfair to the young man. I hope Bills fans everywhere will take the same realistic approach.
Just imagine a player who is a rookie in the National Football League. He misses the mini-camps, the OTAs, training camp, the preseason games and nearly half of the regular season. Now, he's finally able to play. And by the way, he has to fly halfway across the globe to get to his team. Even if he's the second coming of Jim Brown, missing all of that time is going to affect what he can do for that team right away. And we all know Rick is pretty detailed in everything he does, so he will have a lot ot take in in a short amount of time. Plus, he's trying to get into basketball game-shape as well.
That is what Cody is looking at as he makes his Billikens debut.
I'm taking the attitude that I don't expect great things right away, but hope to be pleasantly surprised at what he might accomplish after missing so much.
So, keep all of this in mind if Cody misses all of his shots and struggles early. Be very excited that he's here, but also be patient at the same time.
Also, keep it in mind if he scores 12 points, makes five of seven shots and drills a couple of 3's in his debut. Don't get too overjoyed if that happens either and let your expectations really run wild.
With that being said, he does have a chance to contribute to this team because he brings many things that this team doesn't have in great supply. His size and shooting ability can potentially make a difference. It is always nice to have another big in the rotation.
It is the beginning of a long process which will turn out to be fruitful for Ellis and the SLU program. Cody Ellis is another big and important piece to the puzzle of this growing program.
There is also the possibility of Cody taking a redshirt, thus having four full years of eligibility, not to mention a full off-season workout regimen and pre-season with his teammates before he starts his SLU career.
One thing is certain. The Billikens will become a better basketball team the minute Cody Ellis puts on a uniform.
Needless to say, I am quite excited.
Welcome to St. Louis, Cody. Look forward to seeing you soon.
Go Bills!

Cody Ellis photo courtesy of: basketball.net.au