2016 NBA Draft: Detroit Pistons select Marquette forward Henry Ellenson with No. 18 overall pick

Former Marquette Golden Eagles power forward Henry Ellenson is now officially in the Association as he was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the No. 18 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Ellenson, the 2015-16 Big East Freshman of the Year, averaged 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds last year and nearly 30 points per 100 possessions in his lone season with the Golden Eagles. The Rice Lake, Wisconsin native posted some of the best numbers, in general, for a freshman in Marquette program history and one of the most prolific in recent Big East history as well.

Our own Sam Newberry had this to say about his offensive skill set, one of the big plusses of Ellenson’s game:

Ellenson brought a polished, refined offensive game to Marquette out of high school and only got better during his freshman year. His greatest strength is his jump shot, especially at mid-range. He has the ability to create his own shot at times off the drive, but still needs to learn to keep his head up when going to the basket. He has an array of low post moves and can both hold his own against bigger competition using finesse moves and overpower smaller competition with his strength.

Anonymous Eagle corroborated just that as well:

In the half court, Ellenson has a multitude of ways to beat you. His agility allows him to go inside and score either going straight at the basket or fading away. He’s a reliable shooter out to 18 feet, both baseline and straight away, and in fact, his elbow jumpers are a thing of beauty. He was able to get those shots over and over and over for Marquette, and they might be easier to get in the NBA with the longer three point distance creating more mid-range space. Ellenson’s ball handling skills are part of the reason why he can get those mid-range jumpers, as most of the guys who have ended up defending him to this point don’t have the foot speed to be able to stay in front of him.

Congrats to Henry Ellenson, and best of luck at the next level with the Pistons!