NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Wisconsin of last decade

6. Henry Ellenson – Marquette

Wisconsin has a knack for top prospects and Ellenson was another highly-revered 5-star from the state. A 6’10 forward from Rice Lake, this top 10 recruit stayed in his home state, making his way down to Marquette. Ellenson played just a single season for the Golden Eagles, becoming one of Steve Wojciechowski’s most impressive draws while head coach at Marquette.

Ellenson’s numbers as a freshman were impressive, averaging 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds for the Golden Eagles. Though Marquette finished 7th in the Big East and did not play in the NCAA Tournament, Ellenson still had a number of impressive performances. He had 16 points and 18 rebounds in a road win at St. John’s and had career-highs with 32 points and 6 blocks against Butler less than a week later.

Ellenson was the Big East’s best rebounder during his only collegiate campaign and was named both First Team All-Big East as well as Big East Rookie of the Year. The Marquette team he played on did not have significant success on the court, with their 20-win campaign not enough to make the NCAA Tournament. However, he was still one of the most important pieces in the league, ranking among the league’s best scorers along with that success on the rebounding end.  Later a first-round pick of the Detroit Pistons, he’s spent the last few years playing overseas after only getting a brief run in the NBA.