FAYETTEVILLE — Something of a smile came to El Ellis’ face recently when asked about Arkansas’ meeting with Louisville at the Maui Invitational last November.

After letting out a short sigh, the former Cardinals guard quickly recalled a sequence early in the game that apparently is singed into his memory. Ellis, with the ball in his hands, was being defended by Davonte Davis.

As he readied to cross mid-court to initiate offense, he heard Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman loud and clear from the sideline.

Hit! Hit! Hit!

A moment later, a second Arkansas defender rushed at him with high hands. A graduate transfer, Ellis had never faced anything of the like in his college career.

“That was one of the things that was different,” Ellis said. “It’s different to get trapped on a ball screen. But getting trapped at mid-court, leaving your man and coming to help [on the ball], that was very different. I had no driving lanes [in the game] and couldn’t really get to my spots like I was normally able to do.

“I didn’t really see many things that were similar to that, honestly. Teams tried to keep the ball out of my hands and to trap me, but the way they did it and prepared for me, it was totally different.”

During Arkansas’ spring-time pursuit of Ellis, he spoke with Musselman and the Razorbacks’ staff about the difficulties he experienced in the early season matchup. Ellis finished with 11 points on 16 field goal attempts and had 7 turnovers in 31 minutes. His Louisville squad lost 80-54.

“He’ll tell you how we focused on him,” Musselman said. “Our whole game plan was to run a second body at him every time he touched the ball. As soon as he crossed half court, we sent another body at him.”

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The 6-3 guard from Durham, N.C., also told Arkansas’ staff early on that he wanted to play for the Razorbacks. On April 17, he became the program’s fifth commitment from the NCAA transfer portal.

Asked about Ellis at SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla., in late May, Ellis’ want to be at Arkansas was the first remark Musselman made.

“El really wanted to be here,” he noted. “He told us from the beginning. It was weird, you know? You don’t know how, but he was really excited about the recruitment.”

Ellis and Musselman are excited by the other. And they both want the same things for Arkansas in 2023-24. Musselman has a desire to make the Razorbacks a force and take the program to heights not seen in Fayetteville in decades.

Ellis also badly wants to win at a high level after a pair of down seasons at Louisville that included 17 wins, including four in 2022-23, and two head coaches. Arkansas made sense for the gifted guard.

“That’s something I really wanted to do in my college career,” Ellis said. “Just being able to come to a program that’s really on an upward trend right now [was important]. Most of the guys that have been coming here, they’re now being successful at the highest level, and that’s where you want to get to.

“And then I wanted to be around a staff that really loves the game and wants to be around you and help you in any way they can. That’s something I wanted to be a part of. That’s what sold me.

“Basketball is what comes first, and that’s what matters. That’s why I came here.”

Ellis believes he brings a great deal of leadership and scoring ability to the table at Arkansas. He was the third-leading scorer (17.7 points) in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season and put up 19.6 points per 40 minutes played.

The hardships and tests of mental toughness in his time in Louisville can pay dividends with the Razorbacks, too. Ellis, to put it lightly, has been through it.

He said being surrounded by more talented teammates will greatly benefit his own game and allow him to flourish on a national stage.

“Now I’ll be able to be more efficient and I can really show my playmaking ability,” Ellis said. “That’s something that I wasn’t able to show as much at Louisville. I had a lot on my hands, but now I’m going to have better players around me who have played at this level before and produced at their last school.

“Now I’m able to get guys involved and be off the ball sometimes and not have as big of a role as I had at Louisville, but still have a big one here.”

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Musselman said he was not concerned in the least with the Cardinals’ record in 2022-23 when recruiting Ellis. He saw an ability to create off the dribble and a player who could provide perimeter shooting, which has lacked at Arkansas in recent seasons.

A video posted to College Basketball Scouting’s YouTube channel shows Ellis knocked down threes at a 36% clip from the right wing and 31% on the left wing. He made 18 threes at least 25 feet from the rim.

Ellis also scored 1.06 points per possession (76th percentile) in spot-up situations.

“We look at him as a guy that can play the 1 and the 2. Really good shooter,” Musselman said. “When you watch him get open shots at Louisville, he is an excellent, excellent shooter — maybe better than what people think as far as just like an open spot-shooter.

“His ability to make open shots with his feet set, we thought it was high level. And he was the No. 1 JUCO player as well. We kind of put all of those pieces together and tried to evaluate him.”

Ellis is confident in his game. If you ask him, there is nothing on the court he can’t do. 

In 2023-24, he, in some respects, wants to prove himself — and help put Arkansas in the win column on a regular basis.

“I’m coming in this year and showing everybody how good of a player I really am and how efficient [I can be] and how I can really produce on a winning team,” Ellis said. “I want to show my true self, for sure.

“And win at a high level. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m very excited for that.”