Cody Ellis signs with Billikens

Saint Louis University head men's basketball coach Rick Majerus today announced that 6-foot-8 forward Cody Ellis (202-F-90) (Perth, Australia/Lake Ginninderra/Institute of Sport) has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University and play basketball for the Billikens. Ellis will have four years of eligibility beginning with the 2009-10 academic year.

'Cody is certainly a welcome addition to the team, first and foremost because of his character,' Majerus said. 'He is a committed student and someone who appreciates the opportunity that the Australian Institute of Sport has provided him. Cody gives us a dimension we currently do not have - an outside shooting big man who can knock down the 3-pointer, yet can post up with authority and rebound. Cody will be perfect in our NBA set pick and pop plays and will fit well into our motion offense. We expect him to become a go-to-guy, both on the block and outside for the three.'

Ellis is ranked as the No. 1 power forward and the No. 3 player overall in the 2009 class in Australia, and recruiting service Scouts, Inc., rates him the No. 76 power forward nationally. He averaged 14 ppg and eight rpg while hitting 42 percent from 3-point range for the Australian Institute of Sport, the elite academy in Canberra, Australia. A.I.S. has produced more than 20 Division I players, including teammate Christian Salecich who signed last fall with the Billikens. The duo led A.I.S. to the 2008 Southeast Australian Basketball League finals. Ellis helped Australia earn a silver medal at the 2007 Oceania Tournament and helped his team win the bronze medal game at the 2008 Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany. He was selected to the 2009 Australia U-19 Nationals All-Tournament team, and he will be a member of the Junior National Australia team at the upcoming FIBA World U-19 Championships in New Zealand.