West Orange, N.J.— At the Mary Kline Classic, defense was a forgotten idea, dunks were hammered home and UConn fans saw signs the future has the potential to be filled with dominant big men. Steve Enoch, who will make his UConn debut this fall, was a main attraction in the senior all-star game. He was supposed to be joined by fellow UConn commit Jalen Adams, but Adams was not present due to a conflict.
UConn has established a well-earned reputation as a program featuring dominant guard play. From Kevin Ollie to Marcus Williams to Kemba to Shabazz, the Huskies churn out quality guards year after year. It has been a while, however, since UConn had a dominant big man. Sure, UConn has seen shot-blocking monsters like Hasheem Thabeet, Andre Drummond and Amida Brimah come through Storrs, but none of them brought the complete package.
Steve Enoch has that sort of potential. At close to seven feet tall, Enoch has the size to be an elite shot blocker. Not only is he tall, Enoch already has a defined body, which will only improve when he gets into a collegiate training program.
This was my first time seeing Enoch in person, and an all-star game is not necessarily the best display of his true abilities, but my impressions are overwhelmingly positive:
Overall, I was impressed with Enoch Saturday night. With his body, game, and potential growth, I can see him in the starting lineup sooner than we'd all expect. His two-way ability separates him from every other UConn big, save Brimah. Battling against Phil Nolan and Kentan Facey in practice will help him develop.