VIDEO: Steven Enoch, a UConn commit, leads St. Thomas More to come from behind win over Vermont Academy at Hoophall

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Steven Enoch (right, 22), a UConn commit, scored 18 points to lead St. Thomas More to a win over Vermont Academy in the Hoophall Classic on Sunday night. (ANNIE MAROON / MASSLIVE)

(ANNIE MAROON)

SPRINGFIELD – With future college head coach Kevin Ollie in the stands, UConn commit Steven Enoch looked every bit the part of a future Division I contributor.

The St. Thomas More School senior big man played with energy and enthusiasm, converting several loud jams and making his presence felt on both ends of the floor.

His Chancellors came back in the second half for an 83-76 win over Vermont Academy at the Hoophall Classic Sunday night at Blake Arena.

“(Playing here) gave us a really good energy boost,” said Enoch, who scored a team-high 18 points to go with seven rebounds in the win. “You’re just antsy, you can’t wait to play. That’s how we all felt.”

While future UConn teammate Jalen Adams dazzled in Brewster Academy’s win earlier in the day, Enoch also did Ollie proud on Sunday. His 18 points led the way for a St. Thomas More team that put up 49 points in the second half to erase a 40-34 halftime deficit.

“When I play in front of him, he gets a good feel for my game and I think he’ll know where I fit in next year so it won’t be a problem for me coming in,” said Enoch of Ollie.

It’s been a whirlwind couple of years for Enoch. Just two years removed from playing JV basketball at Norwalk High School (Conn.), his stock exploded last year and he quickly shot onto the radar of Division I programs.

“It’s amazing,” Enoch said of how things have progressed. “I think about it often. Just thinking back to where I was – sophomore year on JV and all that. Now I’m playing on a (postgrad) team with a great coach and great players. It’s amazing what God has done for me.”

St. Thomas More head coach Jere Quinn has loved having Enoch on board this year – on and off the court.

“Well first off, the nice thing about coaching Steven Enoch is that he’s a wonderful kid,” Quinn explained. “What we’re trying to get him to do is to compete each and every play. Not to take a play off any time he’s on the floor. But he’s a skilled kid. He’s only 17 and sometimes he doesn’t even know how big he is.”

At 6-foot-10, Enoch certainly has length, and he can move plenty well for a guy that size. He made his first mark on the night with 18:20 remaining in the first half. His powerful block on defense was followed up with a well-deserved jam on the other end after running the floor in transition, eliciting the first roar of the contest from the crowd.

After sitting for a few minutes early in the half, Enoch returned with 12 minutes remaining and began demanding the ball in the paint. His first touch inside saw him score with 10:50 remaining, putting a soft hook shot over a pair of Vermont Academy defenders to put his side up 17-16.

He again scored close to the basket on the team’s next trip down the floor, establishing solid positioning and scoring in close. Later in the frame, Enoch looked to make a statement with a one-handed throw down, though his poster-worthy attempt missed and the ball bounced off the rim skyward before hitting a lighting fixture.

Not to be deterred however, he responded later in the opening half. Off a missed layup from one of his teammates, Enoch charged in from the perimeter and skied for a put back slam that demonstrated his power and athleticism in one fell swoop.

Enoch was matched up at several points inside with Vermont Academy big man Sam Japhet-Mathias. The 6-11, 270 pound Japhet Mathias from the United Kingdom has been drawing Division I interest, and while he couldn’t match Enoch’s quickness, he certainly presented a challenge on the glass.

“Every game, every practice you have to get better,” said Enoch of the challenge. “You have to set goals and work on them and that’s what I do.”

Vermont Academy was led by junior Bruce Brown, who scored 23 points with several college coaches in attendance. Brown, the No. 55 junior as rated by ESPN, has not committed but lists UConn, Indiana, Arizona State and Boston College as interested schools.

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