In this edition of the Nova Notebook, we connect with Enoch Boakye, a recently arrived 6-11 transfer from Fresno State.
 
The runway to an elite basketball career is often lengthy. For some, it begins in a family room on a plastic kiddy backboard before the player has stepped into a kindergarten class. In other instances its origins can be traced to a neighborhood hoop on a piece of asphalt.
 
Enoch Boakye's basketball runway was much shorter than that. Sports weren't a priority for him in elementary school, though he sampled soccer and football. His first real exposure to the hardwood came in middle school as a seventh grader in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
 
"A coach saw me," Boakye says, "and encouraged my parents to allow me to play this game we call basketball."
 
It doesn't take much to envision what that youth coach saw. Height that even then ranked in the top percentile of his age group along with an athletic frame made him an intriguing prospect. But Boakye had much to learn in those early days.
 
"Some of the biggest challenges were my footwork and dribbling with my head up," he states during a recent conversation in Finneran Pavilion's Gibbs Family Press Room. "Just the basic fundamentals you would struggle with learning a new sport."
 
Boakye put the toil in, however, and it wasn't long before he had earned an invitation to represent Canada as a teen. A highlight reel moment came in 2019 while playing for Team Canada in the U16 America's Cup. He capped a productive tournament with a 12-point, 13-rebound effort in the title game vs. the United States. Over the course of the fortnight he averaged 8.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest.
 
"It was an amazing experience to represent Canada," he states. "Playing for Team Canada was the first time I was introduced to (game) scouting reports and really focusing on different guys. That was a big shocker for me and now, I enjoy those types of things."
 
After his performance in the U16 America's Cup event, Boakye sensed his basketball horizons expanding quickly. His competition included some of the hemisphere's top young talent. By thriving on that stage – especially in his performance against the Americans – offered new confidence.
 
"Team USA is one of the best when it comes to the Olympics," he states. "Just the fact that I was able to hold my own and stand out against that type of team, gave me the faith and belief that I could play at the next level."
 
Originally listed as a member of the prep class of 2022, Boakye reclassified and completed his studies in 2021. From there, he signed to play at Arizona State, where he spent the next two seasons, playing 50 games while primarily serving as a reserve (three starting assignments). Following the 2022-23 season, he transferred to Fresno State, where he connected on .616 of his field goal attempts, averaging 7.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per outing for the Bulldogs.
 
"(One) of the adjustments I had to make at the college level was the physicality," said Boakye. "At the high school level, not a lot of people are as big or strong as I was. When you get to the college level, everybody is at the same level."
 
Now, he has been a Wildcat for just over a week, acclimating himself to campus and his new teammates. During the recruiting process Boakye quickly established a rapport with head coach Kyle Neptune and that helped him settle upon Villanova as the place for his final season of college eligibility.
 
"What really appealed to me is my relationship with Coach Kyle and how he made me feel on the visit," he states. "Coach really made me feel at home. Our connection when recruiting me was like that (snaps fingers).
 
"Being on the court with my teammates has been good. I've been jelling with my teammates on the court and moving some boxes into the (apartment). I'm a little unfamiliar with the East Coast after being on the West Coast the last few years, but it feels like home."
 
His new university is approximately a 7-hour drive from his Ontario home.
 
"It'll be a lot easier for family and friends to make the drive down," he notes.
 
Boakye's presence around the rim should offer an immediate boost to Villanova's interior alongside returning standout Eric Dixon.
 
"I'm excited to play with Eric Dixon," says Boakye. "I feel like the way he plays and the way I play, we complement each other."
 
In some ways, Boakye's game is especially well suited to Villanova. Two of the core program principals, defending and rebounding, are already staples of his game. At the offensive end, he operates well without the ball, often serving as a finisher around the cup.
 
Said Neptune on the day Boakye officially became a Wildcat: "Enoch is a high-level rebounder, shot blocker, and defender with good touch around the rim. Most importantly, he is an intelligent all-around basketball player."
 
"My strengths on the court are playing in the pick and roll, defending 1-5, blocking shots and catching lobs," Boakye adds.
 
There is much to absorb in the weeks ahead. Boakye arrived on the eve of the first session of summer school and has only participated in a handful of workouts with his new mates thus far. Input that feels like second nature to holdovers like Dixon and Jordan Longino, will be his to process quickly.
 
And that's OK.
 
Boakye's basketball journey has taught him how to handle short runways.
 
"I'm excited to be here," he states.