This week Big East Boards got a chance to catch up with Malik Ellison, son of former #1 draft pick Pervis Ellison, who left St John’s two years ago looking for a bigger role at the D1 level.

When asked why he transferred Malik said that he felt underappreciated and ill-used at St John’s and thought that the pastures would be greener at Pitt, where “[Coach] told me I would pretty much be all over the place, one to three really. Just basically just being a leader. That’s the main thing, being a leader, really just leading by example and running the team.”

No one would dispute that Malik has leadership skills, but who he’s leading where is an open question: in four years of college at two schools Ellison has amassed a combined conference record of 10 wins and 60 losses. And as for being “all over the place,” that would be true if all over the place comprised sitting on the bench, as Malik has been doing during Pitt’s current 13-game losing streak, which has seen him average about three points in 10 minutes per game , as opposed to nearly seven points and 20 minutes per game at St John’s.

Still, Malik remains optimistic. Despite shooting this year a whopping 10 percent from three and 50 percent from the free throw line Malik maintains that “I’m actually a pretty good shooter” and has no regrets about his decision to transfer from the NCAA bound Red Storm, citing coach Capel’s opinion that “I could really flourish in his system.”

Next Week: What Ever Happened to Elijah Holifield.