IU recruit wins junior college award

Before he heads to IU to join Kelvin Sampson’s first Hoosier recruiting class, Chipola College forward Jamarcus Ellis collected a few accolades of his own.\nFirst, Ellis led Chipola to the best record in the school’s history, 33-3, and a national runner-up finish. Now Ellis has one more award for his trophy case: Junior College Player of the Year. \nThe 6-foot-6 forward led his school with 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game last season. He was a National Junior College Athletic Association first team All-American.\nAlongside 6-foot-8 forward DeAndre Thomas, who will also join IU next year, Ellis led the Indians to the 33-3 mark. \nThe two join a Sampson recruiting class that is ranked among the top 10 in the country by many recruiting experts, including Rivals.com. The star of the class is Indianapolis North Central guard Eric Gordon, considered one of the top three recruits in the nationwide 2007 class. \nEllis’ honor comes a day after the Hoosiers learned that forward D.J. White would stay in school for one more year, spurning the NBA Draft and instantly raising expectations for IU.