Louisville basketball: Surprising name could be Cards most important piece

Most of the contributors from last years team return for Louisville basketball, but the Cards’s most important player could be unexpected.

For Chris Mack and Louisville basketball, expectations are as high as they’ve ever been entering the 2019-20 season.

The Cards are coming off of a first-round loss to Minnesota in the 2019 NCAA tournament, but the fact that they even made it there as a seven seed in the East region was quite an accomplishment.

Louisville was picked 11th out of the 15 team ACC during the conference media days, yet the Cards stormed out to a tie for first place mid-way through conference play. Though their hopes of making an improbable Final Four run fizzled quickly after a lack of depth and options led to a shaky finish, Mack’s squad will be back and much stronger next season.

The Cards add six talented freshmen as part of a consensus top-10 class, and graduate transfer Fresh Kimble joins the mix after four electric years for St. Joes. Add in the fact that Louisville returns nearly all of their significant contributors from last season, including all-conference forward Jordan Nwora, and you have a recipe for an immediate national title contender.

If there’s one piece to the puzzle that could completely change and re-shape the conference landscape though, NCAA correspondent Andy Katz thinks that it could be Louisville center Steven Enoch.

In his recent article about the five most important players in the ACC, Katz named Enoch- not Nwora- as the third-most important player in the conference.

"3. Steven Enoch, 6-10, Sr., LouisvilleThe easy answer here is to pick Jordan Nwora as the most important player from Louisville. But Enoch can be a game changer. He averaged 9.4 points and 5.2 boards in just 19 minutes a game. He will have to log more and continue to be a rim protector (blocking more shots would help although he alters plenty). If Enoch is a force inside then the Cardinals can have a difference maker in the chase for the ACC title."

If there’s one guy that could make the biggest jump next year, it may very well be the Cards’s versatile redshirt Senior anchor. After two lackluster seasons at UConn, Enoch transferred to play under Rick Pitino. Of course, Pitino didn’t get to see the big man in a single practice as he was terminated and replaced with interim head coach David Padgett just days before the start of his redshirt season.

Enoch sat out the one year under Padgett and remained a mystery heading into 2018-19. Under Mack and big man specialist Mike Pegues, Enoch began to blossom into the player most thought he could become. He is the biggest guy on the court at almost any given time at 6-10, 260-pounds plus but he has the agility and shooting ability of a smaller wing.

He thrived during his Junior year at times and took over games against overmatched opponents. However, Enoch’s season was as frustrating at times as it was exciting. He often lost his place on defense, allowing easy buckets to the opposition. And though it’s a huge advantage to have a 6-10 brick down low who can also pop out for threes, Enoch was perhaps a bit too content with sliding away from the basket and becoming more perimeter-oriented.

Perhaps that is part of the feedback that he got after entering his name in the NBA draft and getting the chance to work out for professional scouts. Enoch surprised many when he put his name in, but given his age and natural gifts, it was a wise move to at least receive some constructive criticism outside of the Louisville coaching staff.

Enoch’s return is a welcomed one. He brings a ton of versatility to a Louisville basketball lineup that will also feature rangy wing Malik Williams and hulk-like freshman Aidan Igiehon.

Perhaps most importantly, however, Enoch will bring a chip on his shoulder and a wealth of knowledge to a team that is hungry to make a late run in 2020. Enoch has a game that is strong enough to translate to the NBA, and he is certainly aware of that. However, now, Enoch has the blueprint for success in 2019-20.

For Louisville basketball, Enoch’s potential emergence as a star could only bode well for their high aspirations next season. If their most important big can make the transition from solid contributor to all-conference star, the sky is the limit for the Cards.