During his senior year at McNeese State, Ellis averaged 18.5 points per game on almost 67 percent shooting.
Later that year, he joined the Des Moines Dragons of the now-defunct International Basketball Association for the 1997–98 season, becoming the league's fifth-leading scorer.
There were NBA scouts in the stands when Ellis lost his mind and put an IBA referee in a choke hold.
According to Ellis, a referee, Bob Schoewe, was berating players as they lined up around the paint for free throws.
A throng of coaches, players, referees, and security officers pulled Ellis away from Schoewe and brought him to the locker room.
However, just two games into the season, he suffered a season-ending chest injury and returned to the United States for rehab.