YouTube Gold: The Remarkable Hansel Enmanuel

A lot of coaches don’t to use all their scholarships, preferring a smaller group. Mike Krzyzewski was a prime example of this at Duke. He didn’t want to just have the maximum number of guys; he wanted the right guys. Remember eight is enough in 2015? That sums it up.

We can appreciate that approach because it worked very well. However, when we watch Hansel Enmanuel play, we can’t imagine not offering him a scholarship if only for the emotional impact he might have on a team.

He’s had to learn a whole different way to play since he has just one arm but look at how far he has come (his arm was amputated after a boyhood accident in his native Haiti).

Despite that, or maybe because of it, Enmanuel has emerged as a fascinating player. He’s highly athletic and his one arm covers more ground than a lot of guys who have two.

He’s accepted a scholarship to Northwestern State which is great.

At some point, it’ll catch up with him. The margin for error farther up the talent ladder is exceedingly slim and missing an arm is going to be tough to overcome against, say, Jimmy Butler or Andrew Wiggins.

Even so, he’s the most unique player to come along since Muggsy Bogues shocked the world as a combination 5-3 point guard/groundhog.

Unlike Muggsy, he’s going to make an amazing amount of NIL money and no matter where basketball takes him, a lifetime of good will and admiration. He’ll have a lifetime side gig as a motivational speaker if he wants it and many more doors will open for him as well.