11/23/2015 football Edit

National Prep Showcase: Gabriels rise continues

Eric Bossi

Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Analyst

Analysis: 5-star PF to Kentucky from Rivals.com Original Productions on Vimeo.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Make no mistake about it, the best was saved for last at the National Prep Showcase when five-star senior forward Wenyen Gabriel left a major impression during the event's final game on Sunday.

I was impressed with...

For the better part of the first half of his Wilbraham and Monson squad's tough loss to the Canarias Basketball Academy, five-star Wenyen Gabriel pretty much had me shaking my head in disbelief. The Kentucky signee was the biggest stock booster of the summer rising from the 80's all the way up to No. 17 nationally. As it is, he is currently ranked too low because the 6-foot-9 (maybe 6-foot-10) forward is still improving at an incredible rate.

Gabriel doesn't play on a team as loaded as some other prep programs and he is his team's best athlete, rebounder, ball handler, shot blocker and probably their best shooter too. Defenses can throw everything they have at him and because he is still fairly slight of frame, he can be worn down.

But I want to focus on the tools. Gabriel's ability to take a rebound and weave in and out of traffic for coast to coast drives is well beyond his years. His motor never stops. He can go over the top of a screen and bomb deep jumpers. And while he lacks strength, he plays a highly physical style. Assuming he continues to play as he did in New Haven and that he continues to improve at anywhere near the rate he's been getting better, Gabriel will push for a move into the national top 10. A serious debate could get started about whether or not he's UK's best incoming recruit if he keeps this up.

Wenyen Gabriel is a BAD BAD man #BBN @WenyenGabriel pic.twitter.com/T9ZJyIvfz9- Next Best Basketball (@NBBSquad) November 23, 2015

For South Kent (Conn.) Prep, the duo of senior four-star combo forward Matthew Moyer and four-star junior point guard Tremont Waters was simply too much for Montverde (Fla.) Prep to deal with.

Ticketed for Syracuse and currently ranked No. 40 in the senior class, Moyer reminds me so much of guys that the Orange have been successful with in the past. His length will be useful on the baseline and covering ground in their zone defense and as his body and game grow he'll develop into a fine scorer. Right now he outruns people in transition for dunks and hits the glass, but I think he'll develop into a good mid-range jump shooter and I see him playing and improving similar to how a guy like C.J. Fair did.

Waters isn't the biggest point guard at about 5-foot-8, but nobody has more confidence in his game. What impressed me was that even though his jumper wasn't falling from deep he didn't let it have a negative impact on other parts of his game. When he's making plays for others to go with his scoring, he's tough to stop.

I was surprised by...

I wasn't quite ready for how good the Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy trio of Kodye Pugh, Deng Gak and Matt Turner would be. A 6-foot-7 wing, Pugh is quite well regarded and is a four-star ranked No. 78 in the class of 2017 who sports many high major offers. He was terrific, scoring 21 points while playing above the rim and hitting jumpers.

Gak and Turner were true surprises - Gak, because the 6-foot-9 forward just arrived from Australia two months ago and Turner, for how much he's developed physically in the last year. Gak is a very good rebounder, has great hands and good feet to go with a nice skill level. He looks like he will be a high-major prospect and already has offers from SMU and Cincinnati. Turner is a strong and fast 6-foot-4 combo guard who can really defend and does a nice job moving the ball. He could contend for the Rivals150 and has high major offers from Rutgers and Seton Hall while Georgetown, Providence, Virginia and St. Joseph's are poking around.

Very impressed w/Blair Academy guard Matt Turner ('17) early. Speedy, good size, looks comfortable at point & has pull-up jumper. #NPS- Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) November 22, 2015

I doubt anybody boosted their overall stock with college coaches as much as 6-foot-4 shooting guard Rodney Culver of Delray Beach (Fla.) Elev8 did. He can make shots from deep, handles the ball some, plays good defense and is quite versatile. The three-star prospect from Ohio took official visits to Cleveland State and Ohio and if others want to get involved they had better do so soon because he told me that he's likely to make a choice within the next few weeks.

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