BYU Basketball Player Profile: Can Jordan Ellis go from practice squad to playing time?

Jordan Ellis was the last player added to the Cougar roster for this year. I, like many, thought, "Who?" After doing my research (Google), I realized that I had seen Jordan play once before — last year in the Cougar Tip-off with the walk on team.

I was really confused as to why Coach Dave Rose would add a practice squad player to the team when there were already so many players on the roster. Short answer: he adds depth at the point guard position.

Many fans may not understand how important this position actually is at the college level. For instance, just look at some of the struggles last year's Cougar team had after Kyle Collinsworth hurt his knee. Having two good point guards who can handle the ball and get your team into your sets and offense is essential to a team's halfcourt offensive success.

But BYU already has a very good point guard on the roster right? Correct, Collinsworth is a very talented playmaker. But he cannot play 40 minutes a night, and there needs to be someone to step up and be effective in the 10 or so minutes that he is not on the floor.

So now that we know KC will be cleared to play, who is going to fill that role? This is where Jordan Ellis potentially steps in.  He is a point guard. Having seen him play multiple times now in exhibitions and scrimmages, we have seen that he can be effective against his teammates and Division II athletes. The real question is, can he do this at a Division I level — and can he help BYU compete for a WCC championship?

So, what do we actually know about Jordan's game? Ellis is still the leading scorer at his high school, and he does have a solid offensive game. He played JC ball at Grayson County College in Texas, went on a mission to Boston, then walked on at Portland State. He did not log a minute of playing time at Portland State.

He is a solid ball handler and has shown some success on offense. Now, it's very possible that coach Dave Rose may choose to go another route for his back-up point. We have seen both Skyler Halford and Anson Winder play point guard in the past. But it is important that he now has options at this key position — and we may see Jordan become an important part of the team this season.