CJ Elleby, a 6’6” freshman forward out of Seattle, has become a mainstay in the WSU lineup. Elleby had an extraordinary week in two Cougar losses.

In a tight 79-71 loss to Santa Clara, Elleby tallied 19 points, eight boards, and two assists in 36 minutes of the contest. In Saturday’s 85-67 loss to the Huskies, CJ soared. He tallied a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double while adding two rebounds, an assist and a block to the stat line in a season-high 38 minutes played.

Elleby was a talented high school player. He played for Jerry Petty at Cleveland High School, where he earned four varsity basketball letters. He averaged a double-double his sophomore and junior seasons and averaged an impressive 23.5 points per contest in his senior campaign.

Elleby led his team to the 3A State Tournament in his sophomore season and CJ’s senior season was full of accolades. Elleby was named to the All-Metro First Team, as well as being awarded AP’s and Tacoma News Tribune’s First Team All-State honors. His year was capped with a selection to play in the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches’ Association all-state basketball game.

Elleby received only four offers upon graduating from high school. Along with WSU, the University of Washington, Pepperdine University and Seattle University offered CJ a spot on their teams.

Elleby was a three-star recruit, according to 247 Sports, and was the sixth-ranked prospect in the state of Washington. 247 Sports also ranked Elleby as the 88th forward prospect in the nation.

In his first season as a Cougar, Elleby has proven to be a talented young player as he has already contributed 229 points along with 108 rebounds and 32 assists. WSU would be smart to build around him in the future.