The men's basketball program has had an extremely busy offseason. With only 4 returning players from last season's roster, new head coach Bryan Bender and his staff have been very busy rebuilding and recruiting new student-athletes for the 2022-23 season. In Mid-June about half of the team's roster gathered in Iowa Falls for a week long training camp before driving down to Columbus, GA where they played 5 scrimmages in a 24 hour span. They went 3-2 on the weekend, with all 3 victories over NJCAA DI programs from North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi. The games were highlighted by two sudden death victories and four of their newcomers were recognized by NCAA programs & national scout Cody Hopkins, from JucoRecruiting.com.
Cody Hopkins invited 4 of Ellsworth's players to attend the All-American JUCO Showcase in Atlanta, Georgia on July 9-10th.
Representing Ellsworth at the showcase that features 200 of the top Junior College prospects who are eligible in the 2023 JUCO class will be Issakha Niang, Saliou Seye, Bruce Kanno and Dior Davis.
Issakha Niang is a NJCAA DI transfer from Trinity Valley CC in Texas. The 6'8" froward is originally from Senegal and has a 7'2" Wingspan.
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAy0oPHK3Rg&t=115s
Saliou Seye is an incoming freshman who is a qualifier. He comes to Ellsworth CC from Senegal as well. He is a versatile 7 footer who can play inside/out who will be one of the most sought out JUCO players in the country.
Highlights: https://youtu.be/cSO7wZRJ0ws
Bruce Kanno is a dual citizen from Japan. He stands at 6'7" and has point guard skills. The incoming freshman is also a Qualifier and will have 3 years to play.
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti0isYM5pIo
Dior Davis is originally from New York and went to prep school this past season. The 6'3" guard was the leading scorer in Columbus and is an elite competitor on both ends of the floor. The incoming freshman is also a Qualifier and will have 3 years to play.
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuNVZZokUw
To learn more about the event please visit: https://jucoshowcase.com/?page_id=4170
When asked about the showcase he said, "First of all, I would like to thank the administration here at Ellsworth CC for allowing us to take the trip to Columbus a few weeks back. Our guys represented our college with great class and effort and showed we can "belong" at the national level. It is great to see our players recognized for their hard work and stellar play and I hope they compete to the best of their abilities. The All-American JUCO showcase is one of the best events in the country and our guys are very fortunate to receive an invite to showcase their skills and represent our program this weekend."