Marquette Wire’s Dan Reiner and Jack Goods caught up with freshman power forward Henry Ellenson to talk about his life on and off the court in his first few months on campus.
How much progress have you made since you got to campus?
I think the biggest change you’ll see in me is how much strength I’ve added. That’s from the weight room working out with our strength coach. On the court, I feel like my shot has gotten better. I’ve offensively been tuning my game and adding stuff just because it is the college level now, and you have to be making different moves a little quicker.
What is the best aspect of your game?
My versatility. That’s something that I’ve always been real effective with. My shot for my size is really good. I like to always step out and use that, but also play an inside-out game, scoring on the inside first. That will open up the court and open up the court for my teammates, too.
A lot of people compare your game to Dirk Nowitzki. Do you agree with that comparison?
I think I’ve got pieces of his game. Obviously he’s a footer and can shoot, too. I have a little bit of other players, too. I like Jabari (Parker’s) game. I like (Carmelo Anthony)’s. When I watch games on NBA TV I like to pick pieces from other players’ games and try to add it to mine, because it works for them. It could work for me too.
What current NBA player would you most like to play with?
I think it’d be cool to play with a pass-first point guard. I like Damian Lillard at the point guard spot. He likes to score, but I think he sets up teammates well.
Have any NBA players reached out to you?
We’ve played with the Bucks players a couple of times at open gyms. Chris Copeland was a guy who talked to us a lot. He’s mentoring a lot of us young guys. There (have been) a couple guys at open gyms, like Jabari (Parker), Khris Middleton. They’re always there. They’re pros and they’re leaders, so they are helping us out.
If you could have dinner with three people past or present who would they be?
One for sure (is) Barack Obama. I’d love to meet the president. Carmelo (Anthony). He’s my favorite basketball player. And then I’ll throw LeBron James in there too. It’d be a pretty fun dinner.
Who are the top three artists on your Spotify right now?
Kanye, Drake and I’ve been listening to a lot Meek Mill. My teammates got me on that one. I’ve been listening to Justin Bieber, too. “What Do You Mean?” (has) been on repeat a bit.
Favorite thing about Marquette?
One thing I’ve been noticing since being on campus is the size of it all. It’s really nice. It’s not a big school, so you see a lot of the same faces from class to class. It’s a real close atmosphere. There’s a lot of excitement around here for the basketball season. People just walking by, wishing me luck for the upcoming season. I think that’s really neat.
What is your favorite place to eat on campus?
I’ve been to hot cookie night for Cobeen. A huge add to campus was the Burger King. That just adds a whole new dimension to the food on campus.
What’s your favorite class?
I have this contemporary presentation class where I give speeches. We have this discussion group that meets in Johnston Hall, and we just have a great group of characters in there. We all are pretty comfortable with each other.
Favorite player to play with at Marquette?
For me, I’ve never been able to play with someone bigger than me. Being able to play with Luke Fischer, I enjoy it a lot because that opens up the court for me. It’s really nice to play with a person of his size.
What game are you most looking forward to this season?
One game, at Villanova, that’s on my birthday. I’m excited for that one. Obviously the LSU game at the Barclays Center and going to Wisconsin. I could just name off the whole season. I’m excited for it.
Why did you pick No. 13?
Jan. 13 is my birthday, so I thought I’d rock No. 13. That’s my favorite number right now. I like to switch it up, anywhere from one to 15.
Favorite thing about the basketball program?
I think it’s really cool that we play at the Bradley Center. Not many teams get to do that, play at a professional arena. I think that it’s really cool that we play at such a big arena, and that Marquette’s going to pack it this year.
