<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The free fall caught everyone by surprise. The advisers. The high school coach. Friends. Family. And, of course, Monta Ellis himself. By the time Ellis had slid out of the first round in last week's NBA draft and down to the 40th pick, many of the 200-plus people who had gathered at a Jackson, Miss., community center to celebrate with the local phenom had already left. ``It wasn't as stressful for me as it was for my mom and dad,'' said Ellis, who was picked by the Warriors. ``But it was disappointing.'' Yet Ellis, whose first name is pronounced MON-tay, contends he has no regrets about his decision to declare for the draft. He comes across as a serious-minded guy who long ago decided to use basketball to escape from a hardscrabble upbringing and avoid the fate of a troubled older brother, who squandered his hoops talent. Ellis also is determined to validate Warriors executive Chris Mullin's faith in him. But the draft was a cold slap of reality. For months those around Ellis -- a guard who averaged 38.4 points last season in high school and was Parade magazine's co-player of the year -- told him he was a lock to be a first-round pick, and maybe even a lottery selection. That's why he passed up a Mississippi State scholarship.</div> Source
