Ellis faces hometown team as UC visits Memphis
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 11:29 a.m. EST January 14, 2015


Cincinnati guard Troy Caupain goes up for a shot against Memphis forward Austin Nichols last March. (Photo: Enquirer file)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Cincinnati basketball player Octavius Ellis is a Memphis product, and Ellis can jog onto the FedEx Forum floor with head held high here Thursday night.

The 6-foot-10 Ellis leads UC in scoring at 9.7 points per game, and he ranks 27th nationally in blocked shots at 2.7 per game.

Ellis leads UC (11-4, 2-1 AAC) into a tough matchup against Memphis (9-6, 2-2 AAC). The Tigers have somewhat underwhelmed this season, but they come off of a 62-44 road victory last Sunday over Houston.

"I was a Memphis fan when I was growing up," Ellis said. "Everybody from Memphis always had a dream of playing for Memphis."

For Ellis, that did not quite happen. Although his father Jerrell Horne played at Memphis in 1993 and '94, Ellis went to UC from high school in 2010. He later was asked to leave after his involvement in a nightclub incident, then went to Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College and earned All-America honors last season.

Ellis returned to UC this year, but not before giving Memphis a look.

"I talked to (Memphis coach) Josh Pastner this summer, but I felt they already had their starting lineup," Ellis said. "I felt I probably wouldn't play as much as I did somewhere else."

The Memphis frontcourt truly is well-stocked, with preseason all-conference forwards Austin Nichols (team high 13.0 points per game, 6.0 rebounds) and Shaq Goodwin (8.7 ppg, team high 6.3 rpg) the biggest names.

The 6-foot-8 Nichols, a sophomore, ranks No. 4 nationally with 3.53 blocks per game. Memphis is relatively inexperienced at the guard positions, and the Bearcats will try to exploit that with heavy defensive pressure.

"You can't give the transition and you can't give them easy lay-ups," UC interim head coach Larry Davis said. "Then you've got to concentrate certainly on Nichols. Shaq Goodwin has not had quite the year he had last year, but you know the potential there for him to do damage."

That is where things will fall on Ellis and his inside teammates, including fellow forwards Gary Clark (7.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and Shaq Thomas (6.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg).

In the backcourt, UC point guard Troy Caupain (9.5 ppg, 3.5 apg) and shooting guard Kevin Johnson (5.9 ppg) will direct things.

UC comes off of a 62-56 loss at UConn last Saturday, and the Bearcats look to remain among the upper echelon in the AAC race.

"We've just got to figure out little things to do better towards the end of the game, how to time-manage the game, not turn the ball over," Caupain said.

Ellis, who had a career high six blocks against UConn, said UC cannot afford anything in the neighborhood of the 15 turnovers it had against UConn. And while Ellis will have a large crew of family and friends watching, he is unsure what to expect since he has not played a college game in his hometown.

"It's my first time playing at Memphis," Ellis said. "It will be a good experience for me, going back home and playing in front of all my family and playing against some friends back from high school. It'll be a good test."

A test that UC cannot afford to fail, Davis said, after seeing a four-point halftime lead evaporate at UConn.

"You can't keep giving away opportunities," Davis said. "This would be very, very big for us."

RECENT HISTORY: Memphis and UC both have played in the last four NCAA tournaments.

Memphis has won at least 24 games in each of Pastner's five seasons. UC has won at least 26 games in three of the last four years under Mick Cronin, who is sidelined for the rest of this season for medical reasons.

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Quote:UC vs. Memphis

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

Where: FedEx Forum (Memphis)

TV/Radio: ESPN, 700WLW

Records: UC 11-4 (2-1 AAC), Memphis 9-6 (2-2 AAC)

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../21742121/

I really hope he keeps his head cool tonight.

(01-15-2015 07:20 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  I really hope he keeps his head cool tonight.

^^^^
This, you beat me to it, I'm sure this is foremost in everyone's mind. Wouldn't it be cool if he went off for 20-10-6 tonight on national ESPN. This national game may be the key to Top 25, eventually, win big tonight and Sat., who knows. Daughter will be there tonight, lives in Holladay ( Camden exit ), about halfway between Nashville and Memphis on I-40, grew up a huge UC fan. Like father, like daughter.lol

I'm a huge Memphis fan and I have a feeling this game is going to be a blowout.....NOT in the favor of Memphis!!!! Every team that is even middle of the pack good, has blown us out this year. Cincy is better than middle of the pack good and we struggle to score most games. My guess on the game will be.....Cincy 72 Memphis 49. I hope I'm wrong, BUT the team looks lost most games, so I don't expect much from tonight.

Once again, a Memphian comes home to play the Tigers. I swear almost every time they come back to Memphis to play the Tigers, that player has a career night. Just something to keep an eye one. I don't know what his career high is, but it could be different after tonight.

EVERY time the Tigers have played Cincy here in Memphis, it has been either a sell out or very close to it. With the tip being 6pm (local) due to ESPN and the fans not buying into what Pastner selling, don't be surprised if there are A LOT of empty seats tonight. My guess on the attendance is 8,200 but the FedEx Forum will announce 14,500 or so.

I think this game took on more importance with UCONN's loss to Tulsa this week. The door is wide open for the Bearcats to step up and control a conference with several good, but no great, teams. Memphis has really struggled but we've seen opponents get it together just in time for UC's visit. National TV; big, fired up crowd. Let's hope the 'Cats can take it to them for the second straight year in Memphis.

(01-15-2015 09:31 AM)indycat Wrote:  I think this game took on more importance with UCONN's loss to Tulsa this week. The door is wide open for the Bearcats to step up and control a conference with several good, but no great, teams. Memphis has really struggled but we've seen opponents get it together just in time for UC's visit. National TV; big, fired up crowd. Let's hope the 'Cats can take it to them for the second straight year in Memphis.

Agree! Have to come to play as Memphis arguably has a lot more talent and will want revenge after being swept last season. They can beat anyone in the country on any given night if they put it together. You just never know when that might happen, so the Cats need to bring it for 40 minutes tonight.

No way this game is a blowout.

While Memphis hasn't looked impressive, they only have 1 WTF loss (Tulane; #140ish in Kenpom). Even Stephen F. Austin is a top 65 Kenpom team. The rest of their losses are to Top 25 teams (again, talking Kenpom).

Hate to go all Billy Bearcat on everybody, but this just feels like that game that gets Memphis back on track.

(01-15-2015 11:17 AM)JPBearcat3 Wrote:  No way this game is a blowout.

While Memphis hasn't looked impressive, they only have 1 WTF loss (Tulane; #140ish in Kenpom). Even Stephen F. Austin is a top 65 Kenpom team. The rest of their losses are to Top 25 teams (again, talking Kenpom).

Hate to go all Billy Bearcat on everybody, but this just feels like that game that gets Memphis back on track.

Yeah, Memphis is a 1 point favorite right now. It is difficult to win on the road. Given how badly this season has gone for Memphis since all the way back in August when they lost to Carleton twice, a UC blowout win wouldn't shock me. But it doesn't seem particularly likely.

Memphis has real talent. If they hit shots, they will be tough to beat. If they don't they are just another squad. Its playground ball. Their screen D is atrocious. If we work off the ball, we may score more than normal.

(01-15-2015 11:17 AM)JPBearcat3 Wrote:  No way this game is a blowout.

While Memphis hasn't looked impressive, they only have 1 WTF loss (Tulane; #140ish in Kenpom). Even Stephen F. Austin is a top 65 Kenpom team. The rest of their losses are to Top 25 teams (again, talking Kenpom).

Hate to go all Billy Bearcat on everybody, but this just feels like that game that gets Memphis back on track.

Ha! This is classic Billy.

To finish the Billy ritual you have to bet on Memphis in order to "win" either way.

Lotsa drama lately for the Tigers but I am actually rooting for Memphis to pull themselves back together (AFTER this game and with another key lapse on March 8th here) and make the tournament again.

If we end up having to stay on this Gilligans Island of a conference, we absolutely need Memphis and the other quality programs to stay high quality.

Their program is in a state of flux, they have kids and parents bad mouthing their coach, their guard play is even worse than ours, Goodwin looks depressed and their defense is a joke. I think we take it. Shut down the Nichols kid and it's over.

(01-15-2015 11:34 AM)Eastside_J Wrote:  

(01-15-2015 11:17 AM)JPBearcat3 Wrote:  No way this game is a blowout.

While Memphis hasn't looked impressive, they only have 1 WTF loss (Tulane; #140ish in Kenpom). Even Stephen F. Austin is a top 65 Kenpom team. The rest of their losses are to Top 25 teams (again, talking Kenpom).

Hate to go all Billy Bearcat on everybody, but this just feels like that game that gets Memphis back on track.

Ha! This is classic Billy.

To finish the Billy ritual you have to bet on Memphis in order to "win" either way.

Welp, looks like my work here is done.

(01-15-2015 12:24 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-15-2015 11:34 AM)Eastside_J Wrote:  

(01-15-2015 11:17 AM)JPBearcat3 Wrote:  No way this game is a blowout.

While Memphis hasn't looked impressive, they only have 1 WTF loss (Tulane; #140ish in Kenpom). Even Stephen F. Austin is a top 65 Kenpom team. The rest of their losses are to Top 25 teams (again, talking Kenpom).

Hate to go all Billy Bearcat on everybody, but this just feels like that game that gets Memphis back on track.

Ha! This is classic Billy.

To finish the Billy ritual you have to bet on Memphis in order to "win" either way.

Welp, looks like my work here is done.

No harm meant either, Billy. Was just the best analogy I could think of at the time.

Man, I missed the fact Octavius' dad played for Memphis State. He was on the team with Anfernee Holloway and Sidney Douglas.

Good Lord. ..I am of an age that I can now say I went to road games and watched parents of current players suit up.

(01-15-2015 01:45 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Man, I missed the fact Octavius' dad played for Memphis State. He was on the team with Anfernee Holloway and Sidney Douglas.

Good Lord. ..I am of an age that I can now say I went to road games and watched parents of current players suit up.

Yup, missed that one too. A little light hearted ribbing, but I think it's pretty funny that of all names , you got Hardaway's FIRST name right! Lol

(01-15-2015 01:45 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Man, I missed the fact Octavius' dad played for Memphis State. He was on the team with Anfernee Holloway and Sidney Douglas.

Good Lord. ..I am of an age that I can now say I went to road games and watched parents of current players suit up.

Yup. I was at UC in the early 90s and went to a Memphis road game as well (one of my roomies was in the band and the other guys I lived with drove down for a party weekend).

Let's face it we are getting up there in the years... hell I have t-shirts as old as Troy Caupain.

I think that year I went to the crosstown shootout at X and we left straight from the game pissed off to drive straight to Memphis and spent like the better part of a week there blowing off class involved in all kinds of debauchery. Might have 93 ad 94 mixed up. The fog of war...

I had that "man Im getting old" moment when I first saw Doug Drabek's son pitching in the majors...

Just looked. January 19th through the 25th, 1994. That is a week that will live in infamy. Got back in time to detox and watch UC beat a top 10 ranked Umass at the Shoe.