LaPhonso Ellis, Top Notre Dame Scorer, Ruled Ineligible on Basis of Poor Grades

LaPhonso Ellis, Notre Dame’s leading scorer, was declared academically ineligible for the rest of the season today.

“It will be a big loss for us,” Coach Digger Phelps said.

Ellis’ loss aggravates one of Notre Dame’s toughest seasons in Phelps’ 20 years with the Irish. Notre Dame is 6-9 after losing seven consecutive games in its worst start since Phelps’ first season.

The 6-foot-9 junior from East St. Louis, Ill., scored a career-high 32 points Tuesday in Notre Dame’s 84-70 victory over West Virginia. Ellis is averaging 15.3 points.

Ellis, an accounting major, passed all his courses but failed to maintain the 2.0 cumulative grade average Notre Dame requires for athletes to compete.

“I think he would admit he has no one to blame but himself,” Phelps said.

Ellis was academically ineligible for the first semester of the 1989-90 year and missed seven games. He returned the second semester to average 14 points and 12.6 rebounds.

Ellis became the third player lost to the 1990-91 team. Sophomore forward Monty Williams, who started 18 games last season and averaged 7.7 points, left the team with a heart problem before the season began, and senior Tim Singleton was sidelined with a disc problem on Dec. 1 but is now back with the team.