Bruce Ellington celebrates after scoring the game-winning basket against Alabama on Jan. 25, 2012. (Jeff Blake - US PRESSWIRE)
Columbia, SC (WLTX) - For the past 10 months or so, Bruce Ellington's been referred to as a "two sport star at USC."
Not any longer.
Ellington confirmed Monday that he's going to be a basketball player full-time, and won't be on the football team this coming season.
"Basketball's always been my first love," said Ellington in a written statement. "After giving it a lot of thought, this is the decision I've made. If you want to be great at something you have to commit to it full-time. I appreciate Coach [Steve] Spurrier for giving me an opportunity to play football at South Carolina. It was a great experience, but right now I want to focus on basketball. I also want to thank all the fans for their support throughout my time in Columbia."
Ellington emerged last season as a valuable weapon in the Gamecock offense, often being employed in multiple running back formations.
Ellington ended up with 707 all purpose yards : 211 receiving, 106 rushing, and 390 on kick returns. That performance helped land him on the SEC's All-Freshman team.
During the basketball season that just wrapped up, Ellington averaged 11 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.