Spartan Profile: Alvin Ellis III

Jan. 31, 2016

By Nick Barnowski, MSU Athletic Communications

Toughness and defense â€" that's what the Michigan State basketball program prides itself on.

It's also what guard Alvin Ellis III set out to base his game around. The junior, who is in the midst of his third season with the Spartans, is doing what he can to make the most of his minutes on a talented MSU squad.

"I'm trying to stay solid and do the best I can do to help the team win games," said Ellis III, who has appeared in 19 games this season. "I'm trying to bring energy, play defense, get stops and make a play if I need to."

And when it comes to finding a role on a Michigan State team spent four weeks as the No. 1 team in the country, well, the 6-foot-4 will do just about anything coach Tom Izzo needs him to do.

"Wherever coach needs me to fill in at or whenever he needs me to play," Ellis III said of his role. "This program is built on toughness and always getting after it. That's what I've tried to rise in my game."

Those same principles are what attracted college coaches, Izzo included, to Ellis III's game in high school. The Matteson, Illinois, native attended Chicago De La Salle high school, where he was a two-year captain. As a senior, he was named a first-team all-state selection by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association after he averaged 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. The previous year, when he was a teammate with current Spartan Gavin Schilling, Ellis III put up similar numbers, including a 42-point performance in the 2012 Illinois Class 4A regional title game.

He initially signed with Minnesota, but when Coach Tubby Smith was fired Ellis reopened his recruitment. That's when his game caught the eye of Izzo, and Michigan State seemed like a great fit for the Illinois native.

"It's a great program," Ellis III said. "Coach Izzo is a great coach, a future Hall of Famer. The toughness and where the program has come from, it was important to me."

As a freshman, Ellis appeared in 36 games, his best coming against Michigan, where he scored a season-high 12 points. That same year, he developed a close relationship with former MSU player Branden Dawson, who was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft. The two still talk frequently about life on and off the court.

"He's like a big brother," Ellis III said. "He's always looking after me and telling me right from wrong. "I was so excited for him (when he got drafted). He's been talking about how he wanted to make it to the league. I know he's got a son and he wants to do right for him, so I was happy for him and his family that he's got the opportunity."

Last season, Ellis III worked hard to improve his shooting, basketball IQ and movement with and without the ball. An ankle injury forced him to miss some games at the beginning of the season, but he rebounded shortly after, scoring a career-best 16 points against Indiana on March 7. He played in all five of MSU's NCAA tournament games, including its Final Four matchup with Duke.

It's the experiences Ellis III has been through that has reinforced his love for Michigan State and the East Lansing community.

"I enjoy traveling and all of the opportunities we get," Ellis III said. "I've never seen anything like (the Final Four) before. I always watched it on TV growing up and to think that I was able to play in a Final Four game, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Through the first half of this season, Ellis III has played important minutes coming off the bench and is already close to matching his career-highs in field goals and 3-pointers. He's bested his career marks in rebounds and is close to setting a new high in assists.

After enduring through the ankle injury and a minor arm injury in the offseason â€" he still sports an arm brace for precautionary reasons â€" Ellis III's willingness to overcome adversity hasn't gone unnoticed.

"It shows you have toughness and that means a lot in this program," he said. "Talking to the staff and my teammates who tell me to hang in there. My teammates always have each other's back, on and off the court. We've got a good relationship between everybody."

Ellis III's parents, Alvin and Sarah, who he sites as two of his biggest influences growing up, are also always there for him. Despite living nearly four hours away, they try to make it to as many games at the Breslin Center as possible, and always see him play at local schools such as Northwestern, Indiana and Wisconsin.

With two games against those schools and half of the Big Ten schedule remaining, Ellis III said the team's goal is simple: Win the Big Ten and see what happens come March Madness.

On an individual level, Ellis III hopes to continue his strong defensive play to help Michigan State reach its goals.

"I want to get better everyday and do whatever I can to help my team win games."