Ellington showing signs of rust after playing football in fall
On Thursday night, Ellington began the process of becoming a faithful companion once again following his temporary separation from basketball for a fling with football.
Though getting the chemistry back with his beloved sport was challenging in the first half against Providence, the old spark was renewed in the last five minutes of the game, as Ellington had several plays to keep his squad within striking distance of the Friars.
Ultimately, even Ellington wasn't enough to keep the Gamecocks from picking up their third-straight loss, but as he approaches the decision of whether to continue to play two sports or stick to just one, he is well aware of the rust that has appeared on his engagement ring.
"Once I saw one go in and come right back out — once somebody sees that, you know it's off," Ellington said of his shot. "I'm just going to go to the gym and keep working on it, and hopefully, it'll come back."
The reunion had some bumps in the road to start, as Ellington went 1-for-4 after being put in the game with 16:49 to go in the first half. He played 12 minutes of that half, splitting time with starter Eric Smith. He finished the half with just two points. The second half was better but not by much. Ellington was 2-for-7, though he played more aggressive toward the end of the game, chasing after the ball and trying to block shots on the opposite end of the court. He finished with six points.
"As I went along, these guys kept encouraging me to keep playing and keep shooting because my shots would fall in," Ellington said of his teammates. "Thanks to these guys — they helped me kind of come along."
Though Ellington's return was maybe not what the South Carolina faithful envisioned, it was about as much coach Darrin Horn could ask of his point guard after just three days of practice following a six-month period without playing.
"You're asking a lot out of a guy, especially against the zone ... which we didn't spend the majority of our time on," Horn said. "I think he gained some confidence and got a little bit more comfortable, but I've been saying for months that the key is going to be patience. It's unfair to Bruce to come in and be in All-Freshman SEC form."
And though Ellington was far from his old self, Horn saw the benefits of having him on the team in the losing effort and is encouraged for the improvement to come.
"I think all in all, considering he hadn't played in six months and had just three days of practice, I think he came out and did some positive things," Horn said. "I think sometimes he was a little rusty because he hadn't played in a while, but he'll be fine."
With 23 seconds left in the game, Ellington went to take a shot, but it was blocked by a Providence defender before the ball even left his hand.
Every marriage has its ups and downs.