Former KU basketball standout Perry Ellis inducted into Wichita Sports Hall of Fame
Former University of Kansas and Wichita Heights High School basketball forward Perry Ellis on Wednesday was inducted into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame.
Ellis was enshrined by Hall of Fame president Paul Savage in a ceremony broadcast on KFH (1240 AM) in Wichita.
The induction ceremony for the class of 2020 was to have been held April 4 at Hillside Christian Church but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 11 members of the class are being inducted separately. Others inducted in the Wichita Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020: Joe Auer, Jodi Bartman, Tristen Deshazer, Lynn Duncan, Buff Farrow, Ken Jansson, Laverne Nance, Dave Phillips, Weston Schartz and Eric Wedge.
The 27-year-old Eliis phoned in from Osaka, Japan, just before midnight Japan time. He’s playing pro basketball for Osaka Evessa of Japan’s pro league.
“This is a great honor. It (career) has just worked out perfectly for me,” said Ellis, a 6-foot-8 forward, who scored 2,231 career points and grabbed 984 rebounds in leading Wichita Heights to four consecutive state titles. He moved on to KU where he emerged as the No. 9 scorer in KU men’s history with 1,798 points in four seasons (2013-16). The Jayhawks won four Big 12 titles during Ellis’ career and 115 games against 29 losses.
“This is for the best parents I could ever ask for, the nicest people you could ever meet who helped me become who I am,” he added of Will and Fonda Ellis.
Ellis last season averaged 18.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 47 games for the Ehime Orange Vikings in Japan’s pro league. He hit 51.9% of his shots, including 43.7% from three-point range.
Since leaving KU, Ellis has played in the NBA G League and in Australia, Italy, Germany, Turkey and Japan.
Ellis sat out the 2019-20 season, working at KU as video coordinator while rehabbing a knee injury, before playing in Japan last year. Prior to that, in 2018-19, Ellis played fpr Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyesi in the Turkish BSL league. He averaged 13.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 12 games. He also played for Oliver Baskets (BBL) in the German League, averaging 12.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 12 games. He played nine games in the FIBA Europe Cup, averaging 13.3 points and 3.8 rebounds a game.
“I’m just kind of just going with the flow. I’ve been playing overseas, doing what I can do,” Ellis said. “I’m playing the best I can over here. If the opportunity comes (with NBA team) it comes but I’m enjoying life and having a good time here.”
Ellis was inducted into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame a few weeks after his high school coach, Joe Auer of Heights, gained entry.
“He helped me a lot,” Ellis said, “just becoming more confident in myself. Even in the classroom, he would try to push me to another level, take time to tell me to really push myself in that sense. I just feel like he helped me become who I am today — to do things that challenge challenge myself and I want to thank him for that.”
Asked to identify his top moment in his college career, Ellis said Wednesday: “It was definitely my freshman year in the Big 12 Tournament against Iowa State (he scored 23 points in 88-73 semifinal win). It was my breakout game. I played really well. Right after the game I had an interview (on Sprint Center court) and the fans were chanting my name. That just kind of gave me a jumpstart, gave me the confidence. From that point going forward I just started having so much more confidence and I just kind of started my career there.”
Ellis in 2019 was inducted into the KSHSAA Hall of Fame.
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 11:41 AM with the headline "Former KU basketball standout Perry Ellis inducted into Wichita Sports Hall of Fame."
