For Isaac Ellis, success is earned, not given. Just a senior in high school, the blueprint was there since he was shortly out of the womb. His father, Jeremy, invested in former national powerhouse Laurinburg Academy and Moravian Prep was born. While things seemed unconventional initially, the elder Ellis has defied the odds by molding two sons (Isaac and Eli) to SEC level guards and more on the way…if they follow the plan.
“He’s put an unbelievable plan in place for us that really a lot of people said was crazy. He said that if we put 10,000 hours into anything…football, basketball, baseball…that we’d be a pro at it,” Moravian Prep senior point guard Isaac Ellis told Ballislife. “We put 10,000 hours in and have been working at this our whole life. Even if we don’t make it to the NBA, which is the main goal, it’s going to make us a pro in life with our work ethic.
The game of basketball has brought more than one can imagine to Isaac, both on and off the court. On the court, he has already won an Overtime Elite Championship with the Moravian Prep YNG Dreamerz. He’s won an Under Armour Association title with TLBA. He earned himself an SEC scholarship from South Carolina.
Off the court, NIL opportunities and social media fame has followed. The Ellis family was featured on a viral Overtime series entitled “Family Business.” The senior playmaker has secured NIL deals with the likes of Serious Players Only, Overtime, Under Armour, and Gametime. He has also amassed social media followings of 424,000 Instagram and 1.1 million TikTok followers, which have brought opportunities that have been hard to imagine for a kid from rural North Carolina.
“It’s been unreal. I’ve met multiple A-list celebrities. I’ve flown to Israel, I’ve gone to Germany, and I’ve flown all over the county,” Ellis humbly told Ballislife after an OTE game in Atlanta. “I’m just a regular kid from Hickory, North Carolina and I’ve been very blessed.”
2026 Moravian Prep Dreamerz (NC) G Isaac Ellis: 56 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST in a win over FaZe @isaacellis2026 @moravianprepnat 🎥 @OvertimeElite @athleteaiapp pic.twitter.com/Sp9geDYkTl
— The Circuit (@TheCircuit) November 15, 2025
Far from a social media hooper, the 19-year old is constantly proving the doubters wrong with his play on the floor in OTE. As of publishing, he sits second in scoring at 30.4 points per game, is leading the league in assists with 8.0 a night, and boasts a 4:1 assist to turnover ratio, which is amongst the OTE league leaders. He also set the OTE scoring record by dropping an absurd 56 points against national power Dynamic Prep (Texas), a squad that is known specifically for its defense. Most importantly, he’s doing it while winning. The YNG Dreamerz are the defending OTE Champions and are currently sitting atop the standings with a 7-1 record in league play.
While Isaac is proud of the accolades that his older brother Eli, the starting point guard for South Carolina as a freshman, he’s quick to remind you that he is a vastly differently player and is using his senior campaign to build his own legacy.
“The biggest misconception people have is that I’m like my brother and I don’t think that’s true. We play super different and that’s what made us good for the past couple years,” the lefty playmaker confidently said. “I’m more of a true point guard and he’s more of an electric scorer.”
One of the traits that doesn’t show up in the box score that allows Ellis to flourish is his elite change of pace. He is a constant 3-point threat, so he able to kill defenders with his herky-jerk style of play and ability to change speeds. Compensating for not being an uber-athletic guard who will dunk on you, Ellis pivoted his game to produce at a high rate. His deliberate shot fake, bursts out of hesitation dribbles, and deceleration on drives to the cup make him both a unique talent and a nightmare to guard.
Those skills weren’t something that was a given, though.
“It definitely hasn’t come natural and I’ve had to work on it. I’ve been playing up my whole life. I’ve been playing 18, 19, 20 year olds my whole life, so I had to learn how to play with my body,” he admitted when giving the secret to his change of pace. “My pace has been a slow journey, but it’s really come along.”
While the Ells family kept Eli’s recruitment close to the vest, it wasn’t because of lack of suitors vying for his services. In an era where every prospect is posting a graphic for each offer that they receive, the Ellis went the opposite direction. Little was known about the recruitment of the senior playmaker until he announced his commitment to South Carolina on June 3.
“Murray State was on me really hard. Indiana State was on me hard and then South Carolina, obviously,” Eli said as he broke down his recruiting process. “I feel like that was the best fit for me. They have been recruiting me for a while. It took them a little longer to pull the trigger, but that made me a little more confident because they believed in me.”
Before he steps foot on campus in Columbia, Ellis acknowledged that while he’s gained 20 pounds in the past year and a half, he still has plenty of improvement to make with his body to comete in the SEC. Isaac is producing at a high rate and there will be a bullseye on the younger Ellis’ back the second he dons a Gamecocks. However, given the dedication and plan that he lives his life by, he feels like he’ll be just fine at the next level.
“There’s a lot of pressure on me that a lot of people don’t realize. If I keep the main thing the main thing and focus on basketball, God is going to keep everything in place.”
