Iowa’s Ellingson gains medical red-shirt, ready to make impact

NORTH LIBERTY - Brady Ellingson is a freshman again, and that's a good thing for the Iowa guard.

Ellingson applied for a medical red-shirt last year after suffering a foot injury entering the summer that required surgery. He played sparingly in seven games and scored 13 points before he was shut down for the season.

The Big Ten's academics and eligibility subcommittee made the final decision and approved Ellingson's red-shirt, the Wisconsin native said Thursday night. NCAA rules allow a player who fails to complete 30 percent of the season before the competition halfway point to receive a medical hardship waiver.

According to the Big Ten, a school petitions for a medical hardship after the season is completed. The compliance coordinator and head team physician must fill out a medical statement that includes the injury date, prescribed treatments and medical reasons why the athlete could not participate.

While Ellingson's red-shirt was expected, the season itself frustrated the 6-foot-4 shooter. He attended Iowa to play basketball, and his foot injury prevented that.

'I tried not to let it get to me the best that I could,” he said. 'My teammates and my coaches were there to support me, and I was fine with the medical red-shirt. I went up every day in practice against Jarrod (Uthoff) and Pete (Jok) and all those guys. They definitely got me better.

'I didn't expect to be hurt going into (last) summer and stuff. It was kind of like a learning experience when I looked at it. It kind of made me realize how much I missed basketball, and I got to watch how the other guys worked and what it took.”

Ellingson, who stands 6-foot-4, finished his career as the all-time leading scorer at Sussex (Wis.) Hamilton with 1,763 points. He led his team to its first league title since 1979 and famously hit a buzzer-beater in a regional final. Ellingson averaged 24.8 points as a senior and 21.3 as a junior. He was named the Greater Metro Conference - a Milwaukee area league - player of the year two consecutive seasons.

'Obviously shooting, I think. That's my strong suit,” Ellingson said when asked how he can help Iowa this year. 'But I think I'm an overall solid player. I think I'm a good decision-maker, a willing defender, anything the team needs.”

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