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In My Own Words: Enoch Boakye

Canadian center and Arizona State's incoming freshman center arrives with lofty expectation to Tempe
Canadian center and Arizona State's incoming freshman center arrives with lofty expectation to Tempe (https://texastech.rivals.com)

The proverbial chip on the shoulder attitude isn’t only reserved for overlooked players. ASU basketball’s blue-chip center Enoch Boakye (pronounced Bowchee) surprisingly has that same approach, eager to begin his career as a Sun Devil.

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“I was born and raised in Toronto. The first time I played basketball, I think it was around fourth grade. A lot of my friends started playing, and that’s how I got into basketball. I remember always going outside during recess and just playing basketball with my friends. So that's where everything basically started, just shooting around recess, and we had three recesses every day in school.


“Growing up, I obviously followed the Canadian players in the NBA, like Steve Nash. Even though I don’t play the same position, I really admired his game, and he was a great passer. I loved watching LeBron James, especially when he was in Miami doing his thing. I looked up to him a lot.


“I’ve always been taller than my peers. I was 6-2 in seventh grade and -5 in eighth grade. My brother played here in Sheridan College in Canada, and he knew how good I was, so he always pushed me to play better, especially with the size I had for my age. He pushed me to be competitive and not let my talent go to waste. I started playing on AAU teams in grade seven onwards. I was playing at a higher level than recess at school, but it was still a game that was fun to play. But that’s the edge where you also develop a more competitive edge for the game.


“When I was in eighth grade, I knew that I could actually get a college scholarship. My coach always told me that ‘you could play at the next level’ and give us an idea of all the possibilities that can happen if I keep working hard. So even from a young age, at grade eight, that’s when that thought process started. Going into ninth grade, I was thinking about play college in the United States.

“Early on in the recruiting process, my first offer was Denver University. And then, from there, it just started moving up to Michigan State, UCLA, Michigan, Arizona, University of Houston and then Wake Forest were the schools that started hopping on me early. I wouldn't say it was overwhelming hearing from all these schools that were far away. I happier that I had this opportunity being from Canada to play at such a high level.


“When I committed to Michigan State, it was the relationship with the coaching staff that really attracted me. As I stated before (when he decommitted from the school) that the fact that (head coach) Tom Izzo came down to Canada just to see me and that was, for me, unheard of, for a head coach to come down. Usually, coaches come to see you in an AAU tournament in the States. So, that

really attracted me to them. Decommiting from Michigan State was pretty hard because that is where I thought I was going to go for college.


“During the pandemic, I spent more time at home and working on my skills. I was able to polish up my jump shot and got in better shape. My basketball I.Q. also developed because I was watching the NBA more. I saw how players think, how the game is played at the highest level. I was able to take the time because everything was slown down, and I got to see the game from a different perspective.


“The pandemic didn't really affect my whole your whole recruiting process too much. I put in a lot of work before the pandemic, and a lot of schools were able to see me. Also, I did play on Team Canada, so a lot of college schools were able to check out those highlights. So, it didn't affect me too much, but it did affect the types of interactions you had with schools. Everything was now online, and that’s the only way I was able to see coaches.

Boakye on Bobby Hurley: "he kept everything open and honest with me, told me how much they needed me."
Boakye on Bobby Hurley: "he kept everything open and honest with me, told me how much they needed me."

“Arizona State recruited me before (Michigan State commitment) but wasn't really on me that much. After my decommitment, they were reaching out. I was learning more about the school when I was talking to Bobby Hurley and making a connection with him. In that first conversation with Bobby Hurley, he kept everything open and honest with me, told me how much they needed me and how I could come and be able to contribute right away and make an impact.


“It’s definitely hard being recruited virtually with Zoom and all that stuff. It’s always better to get on campus and see the players and see the program. I've been to Arizona a couple of times because of AAU basketball, so I haven't really seen the campus, but I’ve seen the city and the area. I do love it there with the nice weather. So, because I was in the area before, I was comfortable with the decision.


“When Arizona State started recruiting me, I did some research online, watched some of their games on YouTube and stuff like that. I saw what they are trying to implement, what kind of offense they were running, and see the impact I could make right away getting back to winning. They play fast, but they don’t really have that many big men and I feel like every college team needs a big inside presence. I want to win Freshman of the Year in the Pac-12 and play well enough, so my stats are going to speak for themselves.


“It’s exciting going to a team where there are a lot of new players, so it’s not like I’m the only one. Everybody is coming in fresh, and that is a little bit comforting. I know we have a great coach in Bobby Hurley who shows a lot of transparency and has built a great relationship with all the new players telling them how they can impact the team. He’s a very welcoming person and showed me that he’s a players’ coach. It just holds more weight when it’s the head coach recruiting me.


“I reclassified from 2022 to 2021 (class) because I felt I’m ready and I don't have to waste another year in high school, especially getting all of my (required) credits and getting what I need done. There’s no pressure after this reclassification being a one-and-done player. I want to come in and play well right away, and if things go my way right away, then I will thank God for the opportunity to be a one-and-done player.


“I see myself as a humble person, and I do have a chip on my shoulder being a player from Canada. Some peripli think that Canadian players are soft, so I want to come in and show that I’m not a soft player and I’ve come here to play. So having that chip on my shoulder does keep me humble.”


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