Ellis Thriving in Her New Home
Grad student providing scoring punch for Rams
Kyle Crooks
As far back as her memory will carry her, Makenzie Ellis has always had a basketball to dribble and a loving father in her corner, coaching and teaching her everything she knows today as the proud Ram she’s become.
“He’s been through every step of the way with me, and my dad is the one who has taught my sister and me all the important characteristics I know on the court today,” Ellis said. “A hard-working mentality, confidence in my game, and most importantly, always having fun are three of the most important things he gave me.”
Before high school, Ellis was known as being the ‘shy kid’ around her classmates. She was quiet and often stuck to herself until her passion and love for basketball helped her emerge from her shell.
While attending Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she left her mark with the basketball program as she contributed to a 2013 Class 6A State Championship as the only sophomore in the starting lineup, leading to her to a selection for the 2014 USA Women’s National Team trials and a No. 15 national ranking at forward according to ESPN.
As Ellis was dominating the competition and creating a name for herself, she went on to play for CU from 2015-2017 until transferring to Southern Methodist University (SMU) for her junior and senior season. With her time spent as a Buff, Ellis was awarded CU’s Crystal Ford-Adams Scholar-Athlete award and started in more than 45 games by the end of her sophomore year.
When deciding to transfer to SMU for the 2017-2018 season, Ellis was forced to sit out due to the current transfer guidelines by the NCAA. However, her presence was felt when she was granted eligibility a year later and appeared in 29 games for the Mustangs while finishing her senior season third on the team in total rebounds and assists. While achieving everything she wanted on the court, Ellis also gained her Bachelor of Applied Physiology and Wellness with a concentration of Sports Performance Leadership.
Originally when we got in touch she told me she wanted to be a graduate assistant here. We’ve already offered Makenzie a GA position after she’s finished playing, but I told her, you have one year of eligibility left so let’s have some fun here in Fort Collins, and she’s been tremendous for us.CSU Women''s Basketball coach Ryun Williams
Upon graduating with her degree from SMU, She was able to apply for her fifth year of eligibility and wanted to play one more year at a school that she could bring her leadership qualities to and also feel closer at home.
When Ellis stepped foot on the campus in Fort Collins, it was “the one place I wanted to be,” she said. “Colorado holds a special place in my heart, and I have a family that can come to my games and rally behind me, so becoming a Ram was something I really wanted.”
After submitting her name into the portal, it didn’t take long for Rams head coach Ryun Williams to make her a part of the green and gold.
“I got in contact with Makenzie within 30 minutes of her name being posted on the transfer portal,” Williams said. “We’ve played against her at CU and know she has the experience, versatility, and great leadership to be here and as I called her earlier, she’s been a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ for us playing as a taller guard with a lot of toughness.”
As a Ram currently in her final season and pursuing a Master’s in Adult Education and Training, Ellis has fit into Williams’ system perfectly and has become a dependable force offensively. This season she’s started all 18 games thus far and continues to heat up as it continues, averaging 14 points per game in conference play, including a career-high 22-point game against Wyoming in early January.
The accolades for this year don’t stop there as Ellis has been averaging 5.5 rebounds per game, shooting nearly 40 percent overall and playing close to 33 minutes each game. Since conference play began against Nevada on New Year’s Day, she has been hot, scoring 96 points for the Rams throughout the past six games.
Ellis feels this season’s performance is the culmination of lessons in her past.
“Playing at these different schools was beneficial and has allowed me to be put in so many different situations and get experience in the areas where I felt it was essential for this final year,” Ellis said. “I’ve been under four different coaching staffs in college and have had to learn multiple systems, learn and gain chemistry with different teammates, and all of that combined has really helped push me into that leadership role here at CSU.”
Being one of the only two graduate-student players on a team is a challenge from a leader’s perspective, but Ellis has proven to be a role model for the younger Rams and has been able to build a tight-knit relationship with the other fifth-year grad student Myanne Hamm.
“She has brought so much on and off the court,” Hamm said. “One thing a lot of people don’t get to see about Makenzie is how hard-working and supportive she is toward everyone. It’s really refreshing to have another teammate like her who can bring so much energy and be able to uplift a team when things aren’t going our way.”
From the day Ellis arrived on campus, she was able to quickly connect with Hamm simply because she was one of the most experienced players, and they share an understanding of each other’s hardships not a lot of people get to see.
“Coming to CSU has allowed me to create so many new relationships on the court,” Ellis said. “I love teammates who can have fun, and these girls keep me going every day, it's been nothing short of an amazing time and has been super fun here.”
After this season ends, Ellis has aspirations to keep going with basketball, except not as a player.
“Originally when we got in touch she told me she wanted to be a graduate assistant here,” Williams said. “We’ve already offered Makenzie a GA position after she’s finished playing, but I told her, you have one year of eligibility left so let’s have some fun here in Fort Collins, and she’s been tremendous for us.”
Putting her coaching career on hold has proven valuable for the Rams, and Williams believes her impact will be felt in her future role. Whether she’s on the court playing or serving as a mentor to others, she’s got the heart of a lion and is always striving to be her best, one dribble at a time.