Wayne Ellington, SG

A sensational long-range shooter, Ellington was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2009 Final Four, joining an elite list of Tar Heel Final Four MVPs that includes James Worthy (1982), Donald Williams (1993) and Sean May (2005). He set the Final Four record for highest 3-point percentage, as he made 8-of-10 treys in the two games in Detroit (80 percent), breaking the previous Final Four mark of 71.4 set by UNC's Donald Williams in 1993 (Williams made 10 of 14).

Ellington scored in double figures 95 times in 115 games he played in at North Carolina. He moved past Eric Montross and Kenny Smith in the 2009 Gonzaga game for 18th place in UNC scoring, finishing his career with 1,694 points, an average of 14.7 per game. He scored 20 or more points 16 times, including eight times as a junior. He scored 20 or more points in four of his final seven games, including three consecutive games (Florida State, Radford and LSU).

Ellington shot 80.9 percent from the free throw line in his career, 15th-best in UNC history. He made 229 3-pointers, second-most in Tar Heel annals and the most by a player in three years. Only Shammond Wiliams (233) made more. In his final season at UNC, he connected on three or more treys in six of eight postseason games and was successful on at least one 3-pointer in 100 games, two or more 70 times and three or more 35 times.

When Ellington hit five 3-pointers vs. Villanova in the 2009 Final Four, he passed Rashad McCants and Donald Williams (221) for second in UNC history. He also ranks second in 3-point attempts (577) by a Tar Heel, one behind Shammond Williams. The talented shooting guard also earned Tar Heel Defensive Player of the Game six times (twice as a freshman, twice as a sophomore and twice this year) and received All-Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament honors in three seasons (first-team in 2007 and '08, and second-team in '09).

The smooth shooting "two" guard was part of one of the best backcourts in the country, joining Ty Lawson in leading the team to a school record 36 victories in 2007-08. He has developed into a quality free throw shooter. He also displays a nice long-range touch, making 39.7% of his 3-point attempts during his three seasons with the Tar Heels. In that span, Ellington averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He shot 46.3% from the floor, boasting one of the better success rates from the free throw line (80.9%) in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Ellington began his prep career at Daniel Boone Academy before transferring to The Episcopal Academy as a sophomore. He scored a total of 2,211 career points, including 455 at Daniel Boone and 1,756 at Episcopal Academy. As a senior, he garnered Parade and McDonald's All-American first-team honors, adding second-team recognition from USA Today. He was named Co-Most Valuable Player in Philadelphia by the Markward Basketball Club, sharing that award with teammate Gerald Henderson, now a standout at Duke.

Ellington led Episcopal Academy to a 27-4 record as a senior and a 25-3 mark as a junior, as the team ranked first in the Philadelphia area in 2005 and 2006. The team won the conference title in his last two seasons (school does not play in state tournament), as he averaged 21.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and shot 39 percent from 3-point range as a senior. In 2005, he averaged 21 points, five boards, three assists and shot 43 percent from beyond the arc. He also lettered twice on the track team, performing in the high-, triple- and long jumps.

In summer league competition, Ellington played in the 2006 McDonald's All-Star Game, Jordan Classic and Nike Hoop Summit. He won the 3-point contest at the McDonald's Game. He also tied the event record with 31 points to lead United States to a win in the Nike Hoop Summit (Tyler Hansbrough scored 31 in 2005 game). In 2007, he made Team USA's roster for the Pan Am Games, but suffered a left shoulder sprain in the first game and missed the rest of the competition.

As a true freshman in 2006-07, Ellington started 37-of-38 games, as he ranked third on the team in scoring (11.7 points per game) and led the team with 66 3-point field goals. He made two or more 3-pointers 22 times and scored in double figures 27 times. He added 109 rebounds with 79 assists (2.1 assists per game) and also generated 29 steals.

In 2007-08, the second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick earned first-team ACC All-Tournament honors for the second consecutive season. He started 38-of-39 games, ranking second on the team in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game while shooting 45.7% from the floor and 82.6% from the charity stripe. He grabbed 174 rebounds (4.5 rebounds per game) while doling out 78 assists to go with 22 steals.

After the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Ellington announced that he would apply for the NBA Draft. Ellington wisely returned to North Carolina for the 2008-09 season. He shared team Most Improve Player Award honors with Ed Davis. He finished third on the team in scoring with an average of 15.8 points per game. He scored in double figures in 25 of his last 26 games. He led the Tar Heels with 85 3-pointers, tied for the fifth-most in UNC single-season history, as he connected on two or more three-pointers in 25 of 38 games.

Ellington averaged 17.2 points in ACC regular-season play, second-most on the team, and had five or more assists seven times. His .417 shooting from 3-point range ranked third in the league and he ranked third among ACC guards with an overall field goal percentage of .483, finishing 13th in the conference in scoring.

Positives: Lacks the size you look for in a two-guard but he has a very nice array of offensive skills to compensate, packaged with good court quickness and fine leaping ability to get his head above the rim … Uses his speed and explosive initial step to weave through traffic and get to the basket … Solid free throw shooter, using his body to draw contact and get to the line … Shows good creativity when he puts the ball on the floor on the way to the rim … Has the lateral agility to get off screens and is good at getting the defender to commit early with solid hesitation moves, along with nifty head and shoulder fakes … His array of fakes and hesitation moves keep his man off balance, allowing him to slip away from the defender to get into position to execute a pull-up jumper, as he has more than enough range to connect from the NBA 3-point line … Fluid moving without the ball and is adequate hedging on screens … Long-range gunner with the balance, body control and stop-and-go action to pull up off the dribble and execute his jumper from the perimeter … Has a textbook release and is quick to catch and shoot the ball in transition … Shows the quickness to be in front on the fast break and has a very good crossover move to surprise a lethargic defender … Knows how to use his body lean to space out from the defender in order to deliver a smooth fadeaway … Confident in his scoring ability and even though he plays with a "shoot first" mentality at times, he does have good basketball IQ and plays into the team concept more often than trying to be selfish by hogging the ball … Shows good explosion coming off screens to elevate to the rim, as his leaping ability is enough to sail over even wing players … More of a combo guard, he shows decent ball-handling skills to earn quality minutes at the point … Decent passer who can distribute the ball, but with his shooting stroke, he needs to attack more often … Doesn't need much space to get his shot off, thanks to his extremely quick release, especially from the perimeter (39.7% shooter from 3-point range) … Has a smooth stride to the rim and knows how to feather the ball into the basket when he elevates and uses the glass (also hauled in 126 of his 469 rebounds on offense).

Negatives: Inconsistent player on the defensive end and tends to let his mind wander, getting caught out of position often … Has the lateral agility to stay in front of perimeter shooters, but allows too much space … Gets beaten off the dribble and tends to take a side rather than facing up to opponents … Struggles to get around screens … Lacks aggression attacking the basket and he can draw contact but would much rather park in the mid-range than absorb punishment driving to the rim … Can handle the ball at the point, but gets a bit out of control inviting a defender to steal it when he's dribbling … Lacks consistency, losing focus on the court and struggles creating his own shot … Bit of a predictable shooter and can be covered by individual defenders … For a player with his quickness, he is a marginal slasher and appears too mechanical.

Compares To: CUTTINO MOBLEY, New York (retired) -- Ellington has NBA 3-point range, but is a marginal slasher who needs to become more aggressive with his inside game. He is an improving free throw shooter and has a smooth fade-away shot to be very dangerous firing from mid-range. He loses focus when he does not have the ball in his hands and is too undersized to defend vs. perimeter shooters, where he fails to face up to his man, allowing too much space for the opponent to make the easy shot. He does play with a shoot-first mentality but could play the point, but he's more of a combo guard that will bring some offense coming off the bench. He would be better with more bulk, increasing his strength and working on ball-handling skills, as his game has too many holes to contribute at the NBA level immediately.

--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas

Second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament choice … Shared team Most Improved Player Award honors with Ed Davis … Started 37-of-38 games at shooting guard, finishing third on the team with 602 points (15.8 per game), as he scored in double figures in 25 of the last 26 games, including a 23-game streak that was snapped when he scored nine points in the regional final vs. Oklahoma. That 23-game streak was the longest stretch of his career … Made 215-of-445 field goals (48.3%) and led the team with 85 3-pointers (on 204 attempts, shooting .417), tied for the fifth-most in UNC season history … Finished third in the ACC in 3-point percentage and sixth in 3-pointers made per game, as he connected on two or more treys in 25 of 38 games … Successful on 87-of-112 free attempts (77.7%) and connected on 25 treys in his last eight games … Averaged 17.2 points in ACC regular-season play, second-most on the team … Totaled 101 assists, as he had five or more assists seven times with a season-high and career-high tying six vs. UNC Asheville and Virginia (home) … Grabbed 186 rebounds (4.9 rpg), as he also had 36 steals and six blocked shots … Played 30-plus minutes in 21 of the last 25 games.

All-Atlantic Coast Conference second-team selection … USBWA All-District first-team pick, adding 2008 NCAA East Regional All-Tournament and Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament Team honors … Named ACC Player of the Week (12/03/07 co-winner, 1/07/08 winner) twice … Started 38-of-39 games at shooting guard, ranking second on the team in scoring with an average of 16.6 points per game (647 total) … Shot 46.7% from the floor (237-of-507), 40.0% from 3-point range (78-of-195) and 82.6% from the free throw line (95-of-115) … Averaged 4.5 rebounds (174), 2.0 assists (78) and 1.1 steals (44) per game … Scored at least ten points in 35 contests … Charged with 62 personal fouls and had 66 turnovers.

Atlantic Coast Conference All-Tournament selection, starting 37-of-38 games (all but Senior Day) as a true freshman … Ranked third on the team in scoring (11.7 points per game, 445 total) and led the team with 66 three-point field goals (on 178 attempts, 37.1%) … Hit at least one 3-pointer in 33 of 38 games … Made two or more 3-pointers 22 times, including all three ACC Tournament games … Scored in double figures 27 times … Added 51-of-61 free throws (83.6%), making 20 in a row at one point … Had 48 assists (79 total) and only 14 turnovers (47 total) in regular-season ACC games … Had more assists than turnovers in 11 of the last 17 games and 19 overall.

Started 112-of-115 games he played in at North Carolina, scoring 1,694 points (14.7 points per game) to become the 60th player in UNC annals to score over 1,000 points in a career … His 1,694 points rank 18th on the school career-record list … Shot 46.3% from the field (616-of-1,331) and made 229-of-577 3-point attempts, as his percentage of .3969 rank seventh on the school career-record list … His 229 3-pointers made rank second in UNC annals (24th in Atlantic Coast Conference history) behind Shammond Williams (233, 1994-98) … His 78 3-point shots made in 2007-08 tied Jeff Lebo (1987-88) and Rashad McCants (2003-04) for eighth on the school's season-record chart, as his 85 treys in 2008-09 tied Hubert Davis (1991-92) for fifth on that list, topped by Shammond Williams (95 in 1996-97, 86 in 1997-98),

Kenny Smith (87 in 1986-87) and Donald Williams (87 in 1994-95) … Connected on 233-of-288 free throws, as his percentage of .809 rank 15th on UNC's all-time record chart … Tyler Hansbrough (882 points) and Ellington (647) combined to score 1,529 points in 2007-08, the highest total by a pair of Tar Heels in a season in school history. The previous record of 1,459 was set by Antawn Jamison (822) and Shammond Williams (637) in 1997-98 … Hansbrough, Ellington and Danny Green (447) combined to score 1,976 points in 2007-08, ranking as the second-highest scoring trio in school history. Jamison, Williams and Vince Carter (592) set the record of 2,051 in 1997-98 … Ellington, Hansbrough, Green, Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard set a UNC record by playing in 36 victories. Five players from the 1992-93 team and five from the 1997-98 team had played in 34 UNC wins in those respective seasons … Ellington's 24 points vs. Clemson on 3/16/08 and again vs. Florida State 3/14/09 were the most by a Tar Heel in an ACC title game since Jerry Stackhouse had 24 in an overtime loss to Wake Forest in 1995 … When Tyler Hansbrough scored 35 points on 1/23/08 vs. Miami, 39 vs. Clemson (2/10) and 32 at North Carolina State (2/20) and Ellington scored 36 in the win at Clemson (1/06), it marked the first campaign that the Tar Heels have had two players with 30-point games in the same season since the 1997-98 season. Other seasons with 30-point games by two different UNC players include 1964-65- Bobby Lewis & Billy Cunningham, 1966-67 -- Bobby Lewis and Larry Miller, 1982-83 -- Michael Jordan & Sam Perkins and 1997-98 -- Antawn Jamison & Shammond Williams … Named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2009 Final Four, joining a list of Tar Heel Final Four MVPs that includes James Worthy (1982), Donald Williams (1993) and Sean May (2005) … Set a Final Four record for highest 3-point percentage, as he made 8 of 10 treys in the two games in Detroit in 2009 (80 percent), breaking the previous Final Four mark of 71.4 set by UNC's Donald Williams in 1993 (Williams made 10 of 14) … In 2008, Ellington set a single-game UNC record by making seven threes in one half (broke mark of six by Hubert Davis vs. FSU in 1992 and Danny Green vs. UNC Asheville on 11/30/08) … Carolina was 52-0 when he shot 50 percent or better from the floor (19-0 in 2008-09).

2007: Made Team USA's roster for the Pan Am Games, but suffered a left shoulder sprain in the first game and missed the rest of the competition.

SUMMER: Ellington played in the 2006 McDonald's All-Star Game, Jordan Classic and Nike Hoop Summit … Won the three-point contest at the McDonald's Game … Tied the event record with 31 points to lead United States to a win in the Nike Hoop Summit … In 2007, he made Team USA's roster for the Pan Am Games, but suffered a left shoulder sprain in the first game and missed the rest of the competition.

Attended Daniel Boone (Reading, Pa.) High School as a freshman before transferring to The Episcopal (Pa.) Academy, playing for head coach Dan Dougherty … Scored a total of 2,211 career points, including 455 at Daniel Boone and 1,756 at Episcopal Academy … As a senior, he earned Parade and McDonald's All-American first-team honors, adding second-team recognition from USA Today … Named Co-Most Valuable Player in Philadelphia by the Markward Basketball Club, sharing that award with teammate Gerald Henderson, now a standout at Duke … Led Episcopal Academy to a 27-4 record as a senior and a 25-3 mark as a junior, as the team ranked first in the Philadelphia area in 2005 and 2006 … The team won the conference title in his last two seasons (school does not play in state tournament), as he averaged 21.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and shot 39 percent from three-point range as a senior … Averaged 21 points, five boards, three assists and shot 43 percent from beyond the arc in 2005 … Also lettered twice on the track team, performing in the high-, triple- and long-jump.

Communication Studies major … Son of Elaine and Wayne Ellington … Born Wayne Robert Ellington On 11/29/87 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania … Resides in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.