5-star forward Wenyen Gabriel commits to Kentucky over Duke

“Just like Anthony Davis (another Calipari recruit), Gabriel had a growth spurt which made him a guard in a 6’9” frame.

Kentucky now has two five-star commits in its class of 2016; power forward Sascha Killeya-Jones pledged to John Calipari’s program in mid-August.

Gabriel is actually the higher ranked player but initially, DeLaurier’s athleticism put the recruiting world on notice.

We discussed last week that Duke’s interest and subsequent commitment from Javin DeLaurier wouldn’t have any impact on the continued pursuit of Harry Giles, but it could be an indication/factor of how things were progressing with the recruitment of Gabriel. Their pitch to me was I got to go there and do what I do best, go there, play defense, block shots, bring energy and just do what I do.

Now ranked as the No. 17 recruit in the country, according to Rivals, Gabriel is a versatile 6-foot-9 forward that can do everything from protect the rim defensively and catching lobs around the basket to hitting threes and beating slower defenders off the dribble. Wynyard is not expected to enroll until December though.

An inside-out forward who has the skill set to stretch opposing defenses to the 3-point line and the length and motor to be productive in the paint, Gabriel is more of a prototypical stretch-4 but even could see time at small forward at Kentucky.

Five-star power forward Wenyen Gabriel announced his commitment to John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday. “Sacha’s there, and he’s recruiting a lot of players that people say they’re like me”.