According to his father, Louisville basketball center Steven Enoch will return to play his Senior season for the Cards.
After weeks of speculation and waiting, it appears that Louisville basketball will get a big piece back for their 2019-20 squad.
On Middays with Marques Maybin on 93.9 in Louisville, Enoch’s father called in to weigh in on the subject.
“We’re in LaGuardia right now heading back to Louisville,” Enoch’s father told Maybin. “Looking forward to next season.”
Steven Enoch’s dad to @939TheVille and @Marques_Maybin: “We’re in LaGuardia right now heading back to Louisville. Looking forward to next season.”
— 939TheVille (@939TheVille) May 28, 2019
Enoch surprised some by entering his name in the 2019 NBA draft after an up-and-down first season with the Cards. Though he has an NBA-ready body and showed flashes of brilliance for the Cards, Enoch also struggled in some facets of the game.
Still, Enoch could have stood a lot to gain by keeping his name in the draft. One could argue that there was as much to gain as there was to lose by turning pro. Enoch is already 21-years-old, and NBA execs value players having an extra couple of years of tread on those tires. However, Enoch’s chances of being drafted were slim-to-none, and it’s a tough hill to climb as a free agent or in the NBA G-League.
Enoch’s other option could’ve been to turn pro and try to begin his career in a league overseas. However, with his skillset and natural size, it may have ultimately been the best decision for him to stay at Louisville.
Now, Enoch will get the chance to play for a consensus preseason top 5 Louisville basketball squad and have a chance to improve his game and build his brand on the national stage.
Louisville’s ceiling is extremely high in 2019-20, and Enoch will have fellow veteran forward/ center Malik Williams, and dynamic incoming freshman Aidan Igiehon pushing him for playing time on a daily basis.
Enoch’s Redshirt Junior year saw a marked improvement from his two seasons with UConn. He finished the season averaging 9.4 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 35.9 percent from 3-point range and 81.8 percent from the free throw line.
Enoch will look to go from solid contributor to an all-conference contributor in his final year with the Cards. If he can continue his game on the same trajectory, Louisville basketball could make a deep run in the 2020 postseason.