James Ennis, Jordan McRae, Terrance Ferguson, Perry Ellis ... whoa stop right there.

Ellis is the odd one out of that foursome, but the Sydney Kings' new import hopes to follow the lead of Messrs Ennis, McRae and Ferguson and use his stint in Australia's National Basketball League as a springboard to the NBA.

"I'm excited," Ellis tells ESPN Australia.

"I've heard a lot of good things about it, that it's a beautiful place, and I'm just grateful for the opportunity. "I feel like I hear a lot more about Australia than you used to hear, that more people are going there to play."

Indeed, Australia has become an increasingly attractive destination for American basketballers pursuing a shot at the big time.

Ennis won an NBL title with Perth in 2014 before returning to the US and signing with the Miami Heat, playing alongside such luminaries as Lebron James and Dwyane Wade. Last season he played in 64 games for Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 6.7 points and four rebounds off the bench.

McRae starred with Melbourne United two years ago before he also got to play with James after being acquired by Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2015-16 NBA season.

Perry Ellis Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Ferguson broke new ground last year when he signed with Adelaide, becoming the first import to play in the NBL straight out of high school. Despite averaging just 4.6 points in 15 minutes per game for the 36ers, Ferguson was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 21st pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Ellis hopes his career follows a similar path.

After four standout years at Kansas University, the 2.01m forward was overlooked in the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent the year with the Greensboro Swarm in the NBA Development League, appearing in all 50 games and averaging 9.8 points and 4.7 rebounds.

Sydney coach Andrew Gaze contacted Ellis's agent a few months ago and a contract was soon on the table. Ellis has been playing with Minnesota in the NBA Summer League and arrives in Australia in September.

"I haven't talked to anybody directly about [playing in Australia], but I've heard from people that know people who've been there and they said they loved it," he tells ESPN. "There's a lot of things you can't control but I want to play basketball as long as I can, and whatever path is met, that's the path I'm going. Some other options were mentioned but nothing that was really eye-opening. Playing with Sydney seemed like the best option."

Hailing from a close-knit family, Ellis credits his older sister for positively influencing his work habits in high school and college -- both on and off the court. Boasting a degree in sports management, he has always taken education seriously, earning the title of class valedictorian in high school and Big 12 men's basketball scholar-athlete of the year in his junior and senior years.

"Balancing those things is tough to do, so it's a cool thing looking back on it now," the 23-year-old Wichita native said.

Terrence Ferguson Morne de Klerk/Getty Images

"At a young age I got to watch my sister and learned a lot from her. She helped me a lot and showed me the way, and I kind of just followed in her footsteps."

The move to Sydney will be his maiden trip to Australia, but Ellis is no novice traveller.

"This will be my first big move coming out of college, but I got to travel a lot with KU and play overseas, which was pretty cool, so I'm just excited about coming to Sydney," he says.

And he is confident he will be a comfortable fit at the Kings.

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"On the court, I'm someone that runs the floor really well, takes off the dribble really well and shoots stretch range," he says. "Off the court, I'm just a guy who's willing to do whatever it takes to help out and be the best player I can be.

If he doesn't ever crack the NBA, Ellis is happy to consider that he might "just" get to travel the world as a professional basketballer "because not a lot of people get to do that".

"My ultimate goal is to get to the NBA, but if it doesn't happen, it is what it is. You move on and continue playing, wherever that might be. That's my mindset."