RISING TO THE OCCASION

SOPHOMORE FORWARD Nneka Enemkpali had a relatively quiet start to her career as a Longhorn. As a freshman she earned six starts in 32 games and averaged just 3.8 points per contest. She led the team in offensive rebounds and averaged five boards per
game, but couldn’t convince the coaching staff to keep her on the court for an extended
amount of time. That is, until now.

The former Pflugerville star is on a meteoric ….

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rise at the onset of her second year at Texas, and the reasoning behind it all is simple — it’s all about potential. “That’s how talented Nneka is,” head coach Karen Aston said. “She has so much potential and it’s becoming real. It’s not just potential anymore.” Enemkpali always had potential. At Pflugerville High, she wasn’t just a standout on the basketball court.

Given her stature at 6’1”, Enemkpali played for the Panthers’ volleyball team as well. She earned multiple honors in both sports throughout her high school career, and even dabbled in track & field while at Pflugerville. Her decision to attend Texas was an easy one, considering her high school’s proximity to the 40 Acres and that her coaches, Nancy Walling and Clarissa Davis-Wrightstil, also attended Texas.

Walling was Enemkpali’s high school coach and Davis-Wrightstil coached her AAU club team. ESPNU Hoopgurlz ranked Enemkpali as the No. 32 national prospect in the class of 2011, also tabbing her as the No. 12 forward in the country. Everything was in place for Enemkpali to succeed as a freshman at Texas, but things didn’t click until this season.

During her freshman campaign, Enemkpali fell victim to poor shot selection while also committing a team-high 76 personal fouls. Although her rebound numbers were there, the fouls, turnovers and bad shots limited her effectiveness on the court.

Now Enemkpali has set a torrid shooting pace, leading the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game and shooting nearly 61 percent from the field. She’s back to business on the boards as well, averaging 14 rebounds per game. She’s also connected on all three of her 3-point attempts this season.

Enemkpali has become a legitimate playmaker in all phases of the game. She’s the missing piece that the Longhorns need to compete with the nation’s best teams. That showed when Enemkpali and the Longhorns upset No. 15 St. Johns in this year’s season opener. Enemkpali recorded her first career double-double with 25 points and 12
rebounds, and never looked back.

“To record just one double-double takes an extraordinary amount of effort, but more than that, it takes a certain drive,” assistant coach Stacy Stephens said. “Rebounding isn’t the most popular thing to do, but the perseverance Nneka has shown this year speaks volumes to the work she has put in.” She’s already collected numerous conference and national player of the week honors, and could collect many more if she keeps up this level of intensity. Enemkpali’s six consecutive double-doubles to start the season broke the program record for most consecutive double-doubles in a season which Tiffany Jackson held, with five in 2006.

Despite the impressive start to the season, Enemkpali sees it as just another day at the office. “I just go out there and play each game like it’s a new game,” Enemkpali said. “I go out there and have fun with my teammates. I don’t think about the past … just move forward with each game.” The greatest thing Enemkpali took away from last season wasn’t how many games she started or what kind of numbers she had in conference play, but rather experience and coaching.

With a year under her belt and a bevy of learning experiences to draw from, Enemkpali is well-equipped to handle most situations she will face this season. Even if the most difficult thing she has to do is live up to
her potential. “She’s been the most impressive so far this season,” Stephens said.

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