He doesn’t the jump the highest, run the fastest, or shoot from the farthest distance. All Ellis Russell does is provide Aberdeen Christian with what is needed most at the moment.

The senior is a key reason why the Knights are back in this year’s Class B State Boys’ Basketball Tournament after a one-year absence.

While some players hit the floor on an aggressive mission, Russell picks and chooses his spots and shines at the biggest times.

“When I go in I just think about letting the game come to me. Every night brings different things and it’s not going to be everyone’s night. Each night everyone’s going to have their turn kind of,” Russelll said. “I think about playing within how we like to play, move the ball, get the right shots. If it’s my shot, if it’s my turn and I’m open, I’m suppose to let it go, but if it’s not, I move it and find the open guy.”

In short, Russell has the valuable ability to make his teammates better regardless of what other four players are on the court with him at the time. He impacts the game on both ends of the floor.

“He’s kind of our primary post defender, and then he’ll rebound, and just get the ball up the floor, get the ball to the wings,” said Christian coach Matt Rohrbach. “I think another person who thanks Ellis Russell is Dylan Hofer. Without Ellis he would have been the primary point guard of course. Dylan has been able to kind of step into that role more and more as the year goes on, and Ellis has really helped him through that.”

Russell has always been surrounded by guys who can shoot the ball, like his brother Ethan, and former teammate Malek Wieker. He said that’s what has helped to shape him into a pass-first player, and current teammates like Brooks Jett and Grady Jett are benefitting from that unselfish play.

“I think I was born with it honestly. I’ve always had it, growing up with guys like Ethan and Malek, who always want the ball. They’re always open,” Russell said. “That almost makes me want to pass when you know they’re going to make it, guys like Brooks and Grady sitting down on the block this year, you pass it it’s pretty much a guaranteed layup.”

While Russell doesn’t often explode past defenders, he always finds a way into the lane against opposing defenses. When that happens, the Knights score more times than not. He either ends up with a short floater or dishes off to teammates for wide-open layups.

“I think a lot of it is just picking your times to attack,” Russell said of breaking down a defense. “When the ball is rotating or some times they’ll simply get themselves out of position, that’s when you just take ’em.”

Rohrbach, who labeled Russell as the team’s “General,” sees him routinely get inside another team’s defense. Rohrbach affectionately calls the move ‘waddling.’

“We call it waddling into the lane,” Rohrbach said. “He just waddles or walks into the lane. He’ll shoot that floater if he has to, but he found Grady (in the SoDak 16) for a nice bucket at the end of the game.”

Russell’s role has definitely changed from Christian’s state tourney team two years ago when he was a key reserve, but his functionality has not.

“He was always the guy that would make the right play,” Rohrbach said.

Nothing has changed in that regard.

Russell recalled his days of being a member on a senior-dominated team and learning from those upperclassmen a couple of years ago.

“Just seeing the leaders in front of me definitely helped make me who I am, like Malek, Jackson (Isakson), Kaden (Clark), all those vocal leaders, especially Kaden,” Russell said. “I’d like to say I base my game off of him. He’s the same way, except he didn’t have to bring up the ball, because we had Malek and Andrew Brennan.”

Russell’s self-comparison to Clark is fitting in that good things happened for the Knights whenever each touched the ball.

“And if you are one of his teammates, you definitely want to give him the ball,” Russell said, “because he’s looking right at back you.”

This year’s Knights likely feel the same way about their senior leader, who always finds a way to make each one of them better.

“Guys just rally around him,” Rohrbach said. “They wanted this for him as far as getting back to the state tournament.”

Russell’s humility can be found when talks about his ability to impact a game without needing to score 20 points a game.

“And I’m definitely lucky too, that I don’t have to rely on myself to score 20 a night like some people do. It’s definitely a blessing there and the ability to have people who want to give me the ball, and want me on the court who work for me, too,” Russell said. “They get themselves open. It’s not all me. They definitely do their share in getting the bucket.”

Russell’s temperament never wavers whether the Knights are ahead or behind in a contest. Part of that comes from his days spent playing golf for Christian.

“I think the biggest thing is just keeping your head, especially not as the best golfer. I wouldn’t say I’m the best golfer, so things are not going to go your way in golf and in basketball there’s some things you just can’t control,” Russell said. “Like some calls not going your way, not making some shots, and just keeping your head and having that next shot mentality is a big one.”

At 6-foot-4 Russell has shown the ability to pick apart any defense with pin-point passes from the top of the key because he can see the entire floor.

When asked about his most memorable assist of all time, Russell paused and then smiled when he recalled one earlier this season in a game at Warner.

“I got a rebound. Grady leaked out. He was running up ahead,” Russell said of the play. “I threw it over my head, it bounced off the head of the guy, the defender, who was running with him, and right into his hands and he caught it for a layup.”

That memory is just one in a treasure chest full of moments Russell has had with the Knights. Although, he said the best times aren’t necessarily the ones that took place in a game.

“With all the exciting games … the thing that means the most to me is the brotherhood and really the memories that you get from that, even outside and off the court,” Russell said. “You’re always together and having fun. The friendships that you make they’ll last forever. The memories sometimes even won’t, but you look back at it and you’ll be thankful for all the friendships that you made.”

Russell is ready to add one more hoops memory as he and the Knights prepare for this week’s State B tournament. He said there is a sense of urgency since it will be his last one, but he also understands how fortunate he is to cap his basketball career on the biggest stage in the state.

“Whatever happens in those games you made it to the state tournament, you accomplished something,” Russell said. “It’s definitely a great blessing to go out at the state tournament.”