Enes Kanter: The Mystique of the Ineligible Kentucky Player and NBA Draft Star

How does an ineligible NCAA player raise their NBA Draft stock if they can’t even play a game against their peers? 

For Enes Kanter, it’s a very real question that he is seeking answer to. 

Born in 1992, the 6’11”, 265-pound Turkish star is only 18 years old, but plays much older and mature than his age would suggest.  Enes is a player with so much potential and room for development, but he has the game to make an impact in the NBA right now.  A player with his size, strength, length and skill set at a young age is a rare find, but enough to warrant a top-five pick this year’s NBA Draft?

A few years ago, as a 16-year-old kid in his native Turkey, Kanter played in limited action for professional team Fenerbahce Ulker to get experience against the best his country had to offer.  Having dreams of playing at the high school and college level in the states, Kanter and his family took the minimum amount of money to cover expenses necessary for him to participate at that level of play and were open about it.  Enes wanted to preserve his eligibility by only taking the amount necessary to play.  He was offered a contract by Fenerbahce Ulker and Greek powerhouse Olympiacos, but turned it down in favor of pursuing his dream in America.

In the 2009 FIBA Europe U18 Championships, Kanter led his Turkish national team to a Bronze Medal, averaging 18.6 points and 16.4 rebounds in the process.  Fresh off his Tournament MVP campaign, Kanter ended up enrolling at Stoneridge Prep in Simi Valley, CA for the 2009-10 season, where he emerged as the consensus No. 1 center by numerous recruiting sites.  Most even considered him a top-five player in the 2010 prep class, but he was still a little known name on the national stage.  

In April 2010 though, Kanter made sure everyone knew he was a force to be reckoned with.

In the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, OR, all eyes were on the top players the nation had to offer in an exhibition against some the world’s best international talent.  Playing alongside future University of Texas stars Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson, as well as international NBA prospect Nikola Mirotic, the international stars led a spirited fight against the prep stars.  Up against the U.S. Team with players like Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones, Jared Sullinger and Kyrie Irving, it would be Kanter who made the biggest impact and would become the breakout star.   Bruising the paint for an incredible 34-point, 13-rebound performance in a 97-101 loss, Kanter demolished the competition and raised some eyebrows with his incredible play. 

Sitting in the audience that night and watching Kanter dominate first hand made me realize what a special player Kanter could be. 

He’s an excellent rebounder and post presence that is so strong and overpowering compared to his peers.  He took over the second half of that game and dominated Jared Sullinger, largely considered one of the best NCAA post players this season.  Despite being 6’11”, Kanter is a crafty and agile post scorer who can put the ball on the floor and make a quick move at the basket.  He demonstrated great patience and awareness down low, but is a strong finisher who can finish through contact and can convert his free throws.   Unlike most players his size and age, he has a smooth jump shot that allows him to step away from the basket and hit from midrange with great consistency.

Like most players his age, Kanter definitely has his limitations and areas for improvement.  He isn’t super athletic or the most mobile post player around, but he’s a player who takes up space.  Like many young post players, he could use some refinement and polish on his post moves, but he’s already solid and much further along than those older than him.  Also, he’s not a great shot blocker or much of an imposing defender, but his size and length allow him to body up on other post players and change shots in the paint.  These are healthy weaknesses for a player of his caliber, but it will require a few years of work to fill in these holes in his game. 

Carrying the momentum from his Hoop Summit performance, decision time was nearing for Enes regarding where to play college basketball.  On a path eerily similar to his future teammate Terrence Jones, Enes originally committed to the University of Washington, but backed out feeling more comfortable pledging to play in Lexington under Jon Calipari and the University of Kentucky. Alongside other talented freshman Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb and Jones, the hype for a big season from the Wildcats was growing.  At Big Blue Madness in October 2010, Kanter was introduced to Kentucky basketball fans as "The Undertaker." 

Unfortunately, the "Undertaker" had problems concerning eligibility, and his NCAA career was shelved before it could begin.

The NCAA found issues with the expenses he and his family took to cover playing pro ball back in his years in Turkey.  Taking $33,000 was deemed excessive and they felt it voided his amateur status, making him a professional ineligible for college basketball.  The NCAA upheld the decision after Kentucky appealed, even with knowledge that Kanter had intended to preserve his eligibility and turned down millions in order to keep the amateur status. 

Many took exception to the case, especially coming shortly after the Cam Newton decision at Auburn, but Kentucky and their talented freshman core would have to live without their talented post player for the season.

With as good a season as Kentucky basketball has had in 2010-11, it’s hard to look back and see what could have been. 

The Wildcats were 27-8 (10-6 in SEC), but lost five games by four points or less.  While Josh Harrellson and Eloy Vargas have been solid in the paint, Kanter would have given UK a legit post presence that probably would have put them in a position to avoid danger and potentially win those five games.  Looking at the type of impact Kanter could have made, one would have to look at what Jared Sullinger did in his freshman season in the Big Ten with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and half a block. 

Sullinger was a player Kanter dominated head to head less than a year ago, and it's safe to say Enes could have made a similar impact, or greater, in the SEC.  With another perennial All-American type player at center, Kentucky could have easily been a one or two seed this season in the NCAA Tournament.  Not saying they would have won it all, but it would have given them an even greater shot at the Elite Eight or Final Four, and they would have been more of a serious contender for the National Championship.

While all theoretical, the "should have, could have, would have" did not and will not ever happen. Enes Kanter will never play a possession of basketball for Kentucky or any NCAA team, so it's likely he will strike while the iron is hot on his stock and cash in during the 2011 NBA Draft.  He is currently projected as an early to mid-lottery pick this June by most Draft publications, usually between picks five through nine. 

However, SwishScout.com currently has him rated as the No. 2 overall prospect, but wouldn’t hesitate to take him No. 1 overall.  Depending on team need for the top spot, Kyrie Irving and Harrison Barnes would be the only other possible players considered for that first pick.  The only reason Enes Kanter isn’t being talked about right now like his peers in Draft discussions is because he hasn’t played NCAA basketball this season and is being overlooked because of his ineligibility.  In terms of talent and potential, he’s a steal if he falls out of the top three picks in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Kanter has the potential to anchor an NBA franchise in the paint for the next decade and could be a big building block for a team.  He’s a good fit for any young NBA squad that’s in need of a true center post presence; teams at the bottom like Cleveland, Toronto, Sacramento, Minnesota or Detroit could benefit greatly from his play.  He’s a player that every team in the top half of the lottery will take a good, hard look at and should be very tempted with what they see from his talent and skill set.  He could be the next Al Jefferson in terms of style and physicality; an unheralded star in the league capable of eventually being a 20-10 guy on a nightly basis. 

The "Bull from Istanbul" is about as much of a sure thing as Kyrie Irving.  It’s easiest to think of him as a bigger, better Jared Sullinger with better perimeter shooting and a more complete post game.  His dominant performance in the Nike Hoop Summit and the fact he didn’t play a single NCAA game leaves his name with a lot of mystique surrounding him as a prospect.  Enes has flown under the radar all season, but after the Draft Lottery in May and pending who has the pick, he will be talked about as being the potential first pick. 

Enes Kanter is going to be a name you will probably be hearing ad nauseam this summer in NBA Draft talks.