Gophers men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith has his first commitment for the 2013 recruiting class.
Chicago De La Salle guard Alvin Ellis chose Minnesota on Sunday over Big Ten-rival Northwestern, Butler and Kansas State, among others.
The 6-foot-5-inch, 185-pound Chicago native visited Minnesota over the weekend and was in attendance for the Gophers football team’s 17-10 victory Saturday against Syracuse.
“I told Coach Tubby [Smith] I could see myself playing there and fitting in. I had a great chance of coming in and playing, so I took that opportunity,” Ellis told ChicagoHoops.com.
Ellis led his team with 16 points per game as a junior last season. A former teammate of his, Alex Foster, a 6-foot-8-inch forward at Seton Academy in Illinois, made an official trip to Minnesota over the weekend as well, the Pioneer Press reported.