Enoch Benched vs UCF

[RipCity]

Benched after another 2 instantaneous fouls.

It may be time to recruit over Enoch, or at least consider him as the new end of the bench big option for his last 2 years.

I love his upside and he seems like a great kid, but he gets absolutely torched on defense and we play much worse with him on the floor than we do even with Durham. We definitely can't count on him providing starter minutes next year, sadly.

 

[businesslawyer]

Benched after another 2 instantaneous fouls.

It may be time to recruit over Enoch, or at least consider him as the new end of the bench big option for his last 2 years.

I love his upside and he seems like a great kid, but he gets absolutely torched on defense and we play much worse with him on the floor than we do even with Durham. We definitely can't count on him providing starter minutes next year, sadly.

Well, he can't move very far down the bench because there aren't many people to move him behind. That having been said, it is unreal that someone with his body and athleticism can be as bad as he is. If in the rare game that Brimah and Facey can both stay on the floor he doesn't play, we'll be better for it.

You can not count on him developing at this point, but you can't count it out either. College basketball has had plenty of bigs who make no impact until their 4th or even 5th seasons. But if you can recruit over him, heck yes.

 

[gtcam]

He has provided an offensive spark at times
He has to clean up the defensive errors that can be contributed lack of foot speed and maybe laziness - he reaches rather than using his body
The kid has shown he can score - now comes the hard work on the D

 

[mauconnfan]

He has provided an offensive spark at times
He has to clean up the defensive errors that can be contributed lack of foot speed and maybe laziness - he reaches rather than using his body
The kid has shown he can score - now comes the hard work on the D

It's not laziness unfortunately I believe it's the BBIQ and as we know for years now, never good. He's stuck not reacting in time to make plays either helping or on his own guy or area in a zone. It will be tougher to think you can change him as this year ends and he hasn't shown improvement. At least if he was long and had shot blocking ability like AB and KF he could make up for inadequacies, but he doesn't have that. Tough to watch a bog talented kid not living up to a partial on expectations at least.

 

[UCbcm]

I'm cautiously optimistic that he will improve. Sophomore into junior year tends to be a transition period for biggest development-- all depends on how hard he works. I'm not discounting him yet. Remaining hopeful that he can grow into his expectations

 

[scotty0330]

Agreed. Slow reacting and makes same mistakes game after game after game. Recruiting another big guy is not shutting down on Enoch (in case he is a real late bloomer) but you have to protect yourself in case this is his ceiling. Not doing so would be short sighted by Ollie and staff.

 

[jibsey]

Benched after another 2 instantaneous fouls.

It may be time to recruit over Enoch, or at least consider him as the new end of the bench big option for his last 2 years.

I love his upside and he seems like a great kid, but he gets absolutely torched on defense and we play much worse with him on the floor than we do even with Durham. We definitely can't count on him providing starter minutes next year, sadly.

He is our starting center next year so you are saying that he should be in the same role as he had this year? If that is the case who is our starting and backup center next year? Who has the size and bulk to take his place?

 

[kansashusky]

No way Josh Carlton plays over him. It has been a minute since we have recruited a quality big to Storrs.

 

[champs99and04]

#SeemsLikeAGreatKid

I thought @businesslawyer nailed it, though. He's not somebody I'm expecting much from at this point, but at the same time it would be dumb to write him off entirely. Anybody know why he enrolled as a 17-year-old? I'm thinking that wasn't best for either party - it would be nice if he had another year of eligibility.

 

[uconngb]

Benched after another 2 instantaneous fouls.

It may be time to recruit over Enoch, or at least consider him as the new end of the bench big option for his last 2 years.

I love his upside and he seems like a great kid, but he gets absolutely torched on defense and we play much worse with him on the floor than we do even with Durham. We definitely can't count on him providing starter minutes next year, sadly.

He needs to spend a summer at a big man camp, rather than dominating inferior talent like he did last summer. Frankly, I'm perplexed as to why that does not seem to be a choice for any of our big men over the past several years. Since they all seem to be bereft of fundamentals, isn't this what they should be working on in the offseason??

 

[Kemba'sYogurt]

No way Josh Carlton plays over him. It has been a minute since we have recruited a quality big to Storrs.

Um juwan Durham?

 

[MexicoHusky]

He's got a lot of career left, but right now he's looking like a big stiff.

 

[selles]

I'm cautiously optimistic that he will improve. Sophomore into junior year tends to be a transition period for biggest development-- all depends on how hard he works. I'm not discounting him yet. Remaining hopeful that he can grow into his expectations

I agree. He's a young sophomore big who got very little run last year. Exactly the profile you'd expect for a guy with Enoch's issue, which is that his mind hasn't caught up with the speed of the game. We're just going to have to be patient.

Hopefully the benching is a one off, because the biggest mistake KO could make this year would be to fail to get Enoch and Durham plenty of PT.

 

[Pudge]

I'm cautiously optimistic that he will improve. Sophomore into junior year tends to be a transition period for biggest development-- all depends on how hard he works. I'm not discounting him yet. Remaining hopeful that he can grow into his expectations

This is where I am ...

Sometimes a big kids just explodes with development. Facey looks markedly better than the days we counted on his 2 years ago. He is in practice with several bigs that are better, that is the start. And ... repeating myself ... its more than just a big body with Enoch; he is genuinely a kid with gifts in athleticism. And then ... Durham looks improved as well. Difficult year. But, you have to give them minutes and they will fly ... out of the nest. Anyone notice the GREAT Tacko Fall?

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

This is where I am ...

Sometimes a big kids just explodes with development. Facey looks markedly better than the days we counted on his 2 years ago. He is in practice with several bigs that are better, that is the start. And ... repeating myself ... its more than just a big body with Enoch; he is genuinely a kid with gifts in athleticism. And then ... Durham looks improved as well. Difficult year. But, you have to give them minutes and they will fly ... out of the nest. Anyone notice the GREAT Tacko Fall?

Agree with your assessment, but we also need be able to count on our bigs at some point before the middle of their senior year (re: Facey). Tacko Fall is a sophomore; same point in his development as Enoch, eligibility wise at least.

 

[RichZ]

I'm guessing I'm in the minority, but I think SE should play as many minutes as possible. When the outcome of a game is not in doubt (in either direction) get him minutes.

I think this year's KF is as much a matter of him being able to play looser without fear of the bench as it is of him developing more game. IMO, KO misused KF for three years. He needs to use his mobility -- especially on offense -- but KO wanted him to be an inside banger and then sat him when he didn't fulfill in that role. This year's situation has allowed him to play more to his natural strengths -- the stuff that made him NY POY in HS -- and it shows.

I don't want to see the same thing happen to SE.

 

[ctchamps]

I'm cautiously optimistic that he will improve. Sophomore into junior year tends to be a transition period for biggest development-- all depends on how hard he works. I'm not discounting him yet. Remaining hopeful that he can grow into his expectations

It's funny that it took a great game for people to understand that KO is a stickler for one thing - defense. It's what kept Kentan from getting major minutes in the past. The kid was a natural rebounder and always had a decent mid range game, but Facey was a liability on defense. He's turned that around this season. Some point out a chicken and egg thing - if he played more minutes he might have developed faster. There's some truth to this. However of all the traits that JC used in coaching this emphasis on defense was number one and KO is following that policy.

Even in HS Steve's offensive game was ahead of his defense. He was the polar opposite of Brimah. I don't think it's reflexes or athleticism because he is almost two different characters in the game. When the ball is in his hands on the offensive end he's like a hyperactive poodle. On the defensive end he looks like a basset hound. Part of this is his lack of grasping the nuances in playing defense. And thinking about what he's supposed to do slows his reaction time. Part of it is that this aspect of the game is less exciting to him which slows his ability to integrate those nuances into his subconscious.

But I'm excited. The fact that Kentan stuck it out and is putting it together is only a small part. I'm seeing Steve make subtle changes to his play on the defensive end. I'm with you and the others in this thread that his future might be vastly different than what we've seen from him so far.

 

[RipCity]

I'm not giving up on him and agree with getting him as many garbage time minutes as possible, but my point is you can't rely on him to give you anything going into next year.

Also, don't sleep on Carlton just because of his ranking. That kid can play. He's been neck and neck with DJ Harvey in terms of production this year.

 

[joober jones]

Sooner or later, he's going to start making the shots in the paint he puts up after making great post moves. Once that happens and he starts playing defense efficiently enough to keep the other team honest, he could be a big contributor.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

His defense is sub par. Doesn't move his feet well. Reaches and bumps guys all the time for cheap fouls.

 

[Jaker]

Durham and Diarra will really need to develop over the next year.

 

[Kenny11]

Enoch is very perplexing. Sometimes he looks great in the post, but he misses the easiest layups. He is easy to strip, like all of our other bigs, as well. I don't think KO is worried about hurting his feelings by recruiting over him. They will recruit the best bigs that they can. He still has a chance to be good, but he needs to put more than 2 consecutive minutes of good basketball together.

 

[ctchamps]

Enoch is very perplexing. Sometimes he looks great in the post, but he misses the easiest layups. He is easy to strip, like all of our other bigs, as well. I don't think KO is worried about hurting his feelings by recruiting over him. They will recruit the best bigs that they can. He still has a chance to be good, but he needs to put more than 2 consecutive minutes of good basketball together.

Durham and Zach Brown were those recruits.

 

[lange10]

Bigs develop at a much slower rate in the college game. Bringing in guys like Carlton/Enoch who project well are great to have. To combat this, though, and allow for us as a fan base to be much more patient in their development, is the need for 1-2 developed bigs on the roster at a given time.

Moreover, having 1-2 developed bigs to go up against day in and day out will help our projects in the long run immensely. And perhaps most important of all, this allows for the program to more frequently use redshirts. Enoch 100% should've been a redshirt last season but we didn't have that luxury because of a lack of depth at the 5 -something we've seemingly been lacking for a few years now.

 

[ktuck911]

It appears Enoch is a 4 yr project.. we'll get the most out of him the last 2 years.. He's never been an immediate impact type frontcourt player... I just hope that the light comes on in the Fall of 2017...and he finally "gets it"....

He needs to put in the work this Summer. Not overseas either... Big Man camps in the USA.... train with a top notch coach of big men. He's gotta get more aggressive/assertive... aggressive on the glass as well as assert himself on the offensive end. He has that soft feathery touch in the post to take his man...