Marcus Flores is a force to be reckoned with. The third-year forward out of White Rock has stormed out of the gates this season with the Cascades, putting up a career high 24 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks against the UBCO Heat on Nov. 7. After being sidelined with a concussion during his second campaign, Flores was determined to rehab his injury and continue his career in the Fraser Valley.
There are many sides to athletics that we as spectators do not see. The recovery process after a major injury is difficult to wrestle with. An athlete wants to be on the court with every bone in their body. When that gets ripped away from them it can do one of two things: demotivate them enough to think their collegiate career is in jeopardy, or give them the belief that they will come back even better than before. Luckily for the Cascades, Flores chose the latter.
“I’ve been visualizing this moment for 12 months. I’ve been dreaming about this exact moment, having five weeks of games. I’m very present right now, and I’m very grateful to be on the court,” said Flores.
Flores has had an up and down start to his Cascades career. In his freshman year, Flores played in 19 games and spent time as the team’s starting center later in the campaign. Unfortunately, in the first game of his sophomore season in 2024-25, Flores suffered a concussion that kept him off the court for the rest of the year. While time away from the sport that you love can be devastating, Flores took the time to refine his game, improve his conditioning, and come back even stronger for the 2025-26 season.
“I go so hard when I’m on the court. Being in shape so I can do all the little things on the court is vital for me as a player.”
All that hard work has paid off to start the year. At the time of writing, Flores is averaging 14 points, 6.8 rebounds, and one assist through his first five games to start the season. That includes his takeover performance over UBCO in a 97-69 victory.
“We made a statement tonight,” Flores told The Cascade postgame.
And nobody had a better view of that statement performance than head coach Joe Enevoldson.
“[Flores] takes everything the coaches say to heart, and he rolls with the punches. He’s become a more reliable shooter over the past two years as well. [With] his work ethic, we always know what we are going to get from him night in, night out.”
Having that type of player on the court is a coach’s dream and when a coach can trust his guy to go out and perform each night like Flores has, then the team has a special player on their hands. And while Flores still has much to prove in his new role as a starter this season, you can always count on him to be a great human being. That’s why Enevoldsen trusts that everything the young man does away from the court will only benefit him on it.
“I always joke around and say he’s the guy that I would have no problems [with] babysitting my kids. He will be a role model to a bunch of people in this community through the next four years.”
Hopefully the Enevoldsons will be able to find a babysitter with better availability, as Flores’ plans for the next three weekends involve taking on the Calgary Dinos, UNBC Timberwolves and the TRU Wolfpack with the Cascades battling for a playoff spot.
