Background
Ellis grew up in Hamilton, Ohio and attended Hamilton High School.
Ellis grew up in Hamilton, Ohio and attended Hamilton High School.
Hamilton High School.
Not to be confused with Bo Ellis, a professional basketball player in the 1970s. Ellis played in the league for just the 1958-1959 and 1959-1960 seasons and averaged 5.1 points 5.2 rebounds per game. He led the school to 25–3 record and a 1954 state championship as a senior, garnering first team all-state and state tournament Most Valuable Player honors that year.
Ellis then went on to play college basketball for Niagara University.
A 6 ft 5 in (196 m), 185 pounds forward/center, he quickly became a dominant force in both scoring and rebounding. Since the rules back then did not allow freshmen to play varsity sports, Ellis had to wait until his sophomore year in 1955-1956 to suit up officially for the Purple Eagles.
In his three seasons, he accumulated 1,656 points and a still-standing school record 1,533 rebounds. In his first season of eligibility, Ellis grabbed a school single season record 485 rebounds, only to break his own record the next two consecutive years with 522 and 526, respectively.
During a game against Kent State in his junior year, he recorded a 31-point, 31-rebound effort.
In Ellis" final season, he led National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I in rebounding and was named the Western New York Athlete of the Year. He also guided the Purple Eagles to two National Invitation Tournament (National Institute of Technology) berths in his three year career. Following his standout collegiate career, the Minneapolis Lakers selected him as the first pick in the third round (16th overall) in the 1958 National Basketball Association Draft.
After two National Basketball Association seasons, Ellis played six seasons in the Continental League and three with the Marcus Haynes Fabulous Magicians, a traveling professional team
In his later life, Ellis worked as a security guard in his hometown of Hamilton. Ellis died on May 6, 2010 at age 74.