2012 Kansas bound PF Perry Ellis was one of 24 players to be selected to participate in the McDonald’s All American game on March 28th in Chicago. Ellis, a three time Gatorade Player of the Year and three time State Champion, being named to the east squad for the McDonald’s All American game means that he has accomplished one of the goals he’s set for himself during his high school career.
“It’s great,” said Ellis about being named an McDonald’s All American. “It was one of my goals and it shows that hard work pays off,” added Ellis.
Setting the goal of becoming one of the few players selected to the annual game was set early on in Ellis’s high school career.
“It was a goal I set back during my freshman year when talking with Coach Auer before that season about my goals,” said Ellis.
Ellis has been considered one of the players in the 2012 class since he set the goal of becoming a McDonald’s All American his freshman year. Over the past few summers Ellis has faced off some of the other elite players in the 2012 class. It’s those games that have kept Ellis hungry, motivated and humble about his game on the court.
“Seeing what they can do just pushes me to work harder,” said Ellis about playing against fellow top players in his class. “I’ve learned a lot from them too,” added Ellis.
Being considered one of the top twenty four players in the class is a great individual honor, and one that Ellis is certainly proud of. Winning a fourth straight State Championships with his teammates is something that he would be just as proud of.
Wichita Heights has won 58 games in a row and gets every opponents best shot game in and game out in hopes that they will be the team to end the streak. Playing together as a team and taking every game one game at a time are two reasons why Heights has had so much success and appear to be headed towards another championship.
“It’s really tough that every team we play is coming at you,” said Ellis about the grind of being the team to beat. “We [Heights] have really good chemistry so that really helps,” he added.
The good news for Ellis is that he already knows what it’s like to get every opponents best shot because that’s all Kansas knows.
