Gabriel down to five
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One of the summer's breakout players has cut his list down to a formidable group
of five finalists. Soon to be five-star senior Wenyen Gabriel discussed
his summer and future plans with Rivals.com.
A 6-foot-9 forward from New Hampshire who plays at Wilbraham (Mass.) Wilbraham
and Monson, Gabriel had an incredibly productive summer playing for the Rivals
Basketball Club.
"It was awesome, the best one yet for sure," Gabriel said. "I think it was just
a confidence thing. Early in the spring I struggled a little bit and in the
summer I built my confidence and trusted in my teammates and we all built off of
each other. The group of players we have we aren't all the highest rated but we
play well together and make each other look good."
Currently ranked No. 84 in the 2016 Rivals150, Gabriel wasn't worried about his
ranking or what schools he was being recruited by before the important month of
July. He just wanted to go out and play hard.
"I didn't even have a plan and wasn't worried like that," Gabriel said. "I knew
I had some good schools recruiting me so I just wanted to go out and win. I just
wanted to win and when it started happening I wasn't sure it was real."
Make no mistake, Gabriel's ascension to national prominence is real. He is
quick, he rebounds at a high volume, he has skill facing the basket and he's
athletic with a non-stop motor. Now he's down to Connecticut,
Gabriel has set visits for Maryland (Sept. 4), Kentucky (Sept. 25) and Duke
(Oct. 16) and hopes to have dates set for UConn and Providence soon. He
discussed each of his finalists.
Connecticut -- "I like the relationship I have with coach
(Kevin) Ollie. He's about helping me get to the next level and he has a lot of
resources at UConn. He has been in the NBA and he stayed there for a while. He
has a lot to teach that I'm interested in. He can win and the school is pretty
close to home."
Duke -- "I've always like them for a while now. Once they
started recruiting me I was excited. They say I can play a lot of positions and
they are excited about me as a basketball player and that I can be very
versatile for them. They think I can be a great fit at Duke."
Kentucky -- "They can help get you to the next level too and
they have proven to be the best at that now. I like that they want to play me at
the wing and that's interesting to me because everybody my size wants to play at
the wing. That's a good opportunity."
Maryland -- "Maryland, I like their style of play. The whole
area is nice and I like D.C. They've been recruiting me real hard for a while
now and I've seen that effort. There's a lot of opportunity at Maryland. I could
see myself developing into a pro there. I like what (Mark) Turgeon has done in
the short time there."
Providence -- "The number one thing with Providence, if it
wasn't for Ed Cooley I don't think the relationship I have with them would be so
great. He saw my talent early and I the trust that I've been able to build in
him without even playing for him is crazy. It would be great to play for him."
For now, there is a strong chance that Gabriel signs early but he made it clear
that he would wait until the spring if things didn't feel right. And, while the
opportunity to play some on the wing is important to him, he is well aware that
at his size he will be playing a lot of power forward.
How long a school has or hasn't recruited him won't play too big of a factor for
Gabriel who says that he's mostly looking for an opportunity to win, a place to
develop and a place where he feels comfortable.
"It will be a combination of things," said Gabriel. "Just over time I've been
cutting down schools since this has come on and I've been watching very closely
and I'm going to keep doing that."
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