It was less than two years ago that Tristan Enaruna hit a jumper off one foot to send the Cleveland State Vikings to the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Now, Enaruna is firmly set in the starting lineup for the G-League Cleveland Charge and has many people talking.
Just like his college career, his professional career didn’t start in Cleveland, but he’s getting his footing in the same town where he dominated as a Viking for two years.
The HoriZone Roundtable spoke with Enaruna after a Charge practice to see how everything was progressing.
From The Lands to The Land
Enaruna hails from Almere, Flevoland, Neatherlands. He played for the Almere Pioneers, Apollo Amsterdam, and then at Wasath Academy in Utah.
A four-star recruit, Enaruna ended up committing to Kansas for the 2018-19 season. In his two seasons with the Jayhawks, he played in 55 games for an average of about ten minutes per game and scored about two and a half points per game (PPG).
After these underwhelming first two years, he transferred to another Big 12 school, Iowa State. He averaged 14.4 minutes and 4.3 PPG in his one year there before his college career turned around.
Following the news that Iowa State assistant coach Daniyal Robinson was being hired as the CSU head coach, Enaruna followed him eastward. It was a match made in heaven from the start. “I almost want to say he saved my career,” Enaruna said. “I was mentally in a tough spot. I always dreamed of playing in the NBA, and then kind of going through my first three years of college that dream kind of felt like it was getting more and more distant.”
Enaruna started 70 games over the next two years for the Vikings and averaged 17.6 PPG, 6.5 rebounds per game (RPG), 2 assists per game (APG), and a block per game (BPG) while playing almost 33 minutes a game.
“Obviously, I met [Robinson] at Iowa State, and he brought me to[…] Cleveland State, and […] that dream came back to life,” added Enaruna.
On a team with a new coach and a lot of new players, Enaruna established himself as a force in the conference. Both years saw him land on the All-Horizon Team, plus he made the All-Horizon Tournament Team in 2023. His career player efficiency rating is the third best all-time in the conference at 25.16.
Despite only playing two years for CSU, his name is splattered across career and season leaderboards for the school and conference. His impact might not have always been flashy, but it was always there.
His game-winner in the CBI is probably his signature moment for fans, but he had plenty of great plays.
Thinking back to that shot, Enaruna had a lot to say. “We were tied, and we drew up that play designed for me to get the ball. It went a little bit off track. I caught it in a different space than I was supposed to, but I caught the ball and knew there wasn’t a lot of time left, so as soon as I got the space, ‘rise up and shoot it.’ I did, and it went in. It felt good, because obviously [in the] CBI, if you get eliminated, you’re done…your season is done. I think knowing that it was my last year in college, I just wanted to extend it as much as I could, and obviously helping [by] making that shot and giving us an extra game to play[…] felt great.”
The Main(e) Man Goes North
Although there was a small chance he was going to be drafted, the more likely situation of being signed after the draft happened for Enaruna. Following the 2024 draft, the Boston Celtics signed him to come to the Summer League and he eventually ended up playing last season with the G-League Maine Celtics.
Enaruna played in 49 games last season (22 starts) in the Tip-Off Tournament, Regular Season, and Playoffs. He averaged just over 11 PPG but never found his footing completely. He averaged over 30 minutes a game but the Celtics had a few other guys who were taking a lot of shots (J. D. Davison took almost 20 shots a game).
Enaruna did show some promise with a few 20-point games (including a 26-point game against the Charge) and three games with 13 rebounds. In the G-League, where the game plan seems to be to get up a shot as soon as you get the ball, his skill set was sometimes a bit lost in the shuffle.
With not much buzz around him at the end of the season, Enaruna was invited by the Cleveland Cavaliers to play in the NBA Summer League and things started to look up.
There’s No Place Like CLE, There’s No Place Like CLE, There’s No Place Like CLE
In five games with the Cavs Summer League team, Enaruna put up 13.2 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 24.4 minutes a game. He started to turn some heads with his ability to play basically every position and get blocks, steals, and assists on top of his scoring.
Impressed by his Summer League time, the Cavs traded for Enaruna’s rights in a three-team trade with the Celtics and Iowa Wolves. Back in Cleveland, he has seen extended playing time and a clear improvement from last season.
Going into the game Sunday, Enaruna is averaging 18.8 PPG while starting all nine games so far in the Tip-Off Tournament. He’s also averaging 5.6 RPG and almost two APG. He’s been in double figures every game but one and scored 29 points while making four threes in a game.
“I think the biggest difference going into year two is [I’m] familiar with the league[,] the style of play [,and] the competition level,” mentioned Enaruna.
Showcasing his myriad talents, he had a game with four steals and another with 11 boards. He plays defense against anyone (including Victor Oladipo attempting to get back to the NBA) and is definitely turning some heads in Cleveland.
“I think that’s the funny thing about the G-League. Sometimes, some nights you would just play against somebody that has great NBA experience. Like, [Oladipo] was an All-Star caliber player.”
Enaruna is currently third on the team in scoring, though his field goal percentage is above the two in front of him, and is fourth in RPG. He’s averaging 32.5 minutes a game and has turned into part of the core for the Charge.
Viking, Celtic, Charge, Cavalier?
Now that Enaruna has established himself as a good G-League player, the only step left is the NBA. Though numerous outlets reported Enaruna was possibly up for a two-way contract before the season, the Cavs went other ways.
If he keeps playing the way he is, some team is going to give him a shot in the highest league. A perfect in-between player, he would fit in great with many benches.
Right now, the NBA is still just a dream for Enaruna, but it’s clear that he’s more than capable of competing with anyone.
“I came into Cleveland State kind of not knowing how to fit in, where to fit in. I came from a tough time at Iowa State, struggling, trying to find myself on the court and so I got to clean the slate, and I kind of learned to adapt with the help of a great coaching staff and great teammates. I figured out a way to navigate the unknown [and] find myself.”
For now Enaruna is happy playing for the Charge and visiting his old Cleveland hangouts. When asked what’s one of the places he’s happy to be able to visit again, Enaruna said The Fruit Stand on Euclid Ave for their açaí bowls.
Although Enaruna has played at the Wolstein Center and Public Auditorium, one might see him at Rocket Arena soon (hopefully in Wine and Gold).
Originally published by the HoriZone Roundtable. Republished here with permission.