Octavius Ellis


Octavio Elis is an American professional basketball player for Olympiacos of the EuroLeague. He plays at the center position.

High school career

Ellis played high school basketball at Whitehaven High School, in Memphis, Tennessee.

College career

Ellis began his collegiate career at the University of Cincinnati during the 2011–12 season. He was dismissed from the team that off season for an altercation at a nightclub. He then played two seasons at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. There, he averaged 14.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots as a red-shirt sophomore during the 2013–14 season, while being named First Team All-America by the National Junior College Athletic Association. Ellis helped lead the Cardinals to their first NJCAA Tournament appearance since 1999, while posting a 29–7 record.
After two years at Trinity Valley, he returned to UC with two years of eligibility remaining. For that 2014–15 season, he started all 31 of the Bearcats' games, and led UC in scoring, in rebounding, and in blocked shots. He was named to the 2014–15 All-American Athletic Conference Second Team. The next season, he again helped lead the Bearcats to the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, where Cincinnati faced Saint Joseph's, and received a first-round elimination, in a controversial fashion, as Ellis' game-tying dunk was waved off for being 0.1 second too late.

Professional career

After failing to be drafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Ellis signed his first professional contract with the Montenegrin team Mornar Bar, of the Adriatic League. On March 9, 2017, he signed with the Alaska Aces, as their import for the 2017 PBA Commissioner's Cup. However, on March 18, three days before the team's first game, he left the Philippines to attend to an "important family matter".
On July 24, 2017, Ellis signed with Russian club Enisey. On December 29, 2017, Ellis left Enisey and joined Promitheas Patras, of the Greek Basket League. On June 21, 2018, Ellis renewed his contract for another year with Promitheas. On May 26, 2019, Ellis agreed to a new contract with the Greek club.
On January 27, 2020, Ellis officially signed with EuroLeague club Olympiacos.

Personal life

Ellis is the son of Jerrell Horne, a former basketball player at the University of Memphis. His cousin is former NBA player Monta Ellis.