UK adds second five-star
Analysis: 5-star PF to Kentucky from Rivals.com Original Productions on Vimeo.
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If you saw Wenyen Gabriel's commitment to Kentucky coming Thursday morning, then you were one of the few.
That the 6-foot-9 power forward from Wilbraham (Mass.) Wilbraham and Monson chose John Calipari and the Wildcats isn't a huge surprise. However, his timing of picking them just a few days after returning from an official visit did surprise.
Gabriel had planned to take three more official visits, but he was starting to lean towards UK and after meeting with one of his other finalists, Duke, this week, he felt he had enough info.
"I already had a good feeling with Kentucky and I liked the way Calipari was recruiting me," Gabriel told Rivals.com. "He basically took the recruiting in his hands the whole time. I felt like that with a few other schools and after Duke visited me, I feel like I got the complete picture. I talked to everybody and got it all on the table to make sure I wasn't missing everything.
"I just believed in Calipari and the program. I know I could have done well at all of the other schools but it's every kids dream to play at one of these schools and I'll be at Kentucky."
One of the most versatile players in the class of 2016, Gabriel ranks No. 17 overall and he could conceivably play the small forward, power forward and center in college. At Kentucky, Gabriel says he'll just be asked to play his game and the rest will take care of itself.
"The approach is that I don't have to change from who I am," said Gabriel. "(Calipari) just wants me to be the best Wenyen I can be. He wants me to go out and do what I do. Block shots, play defense, score, rebound. Just do what I do, and that's what really got me."
Though Gabriel was always seen as a high major player, it wasn't until a breakout summer that he really took the recruiting world by storm. Thanks to his play on the Adidas Uprising circuit with his club team Mass Rivals, he went from fringe top 100 player to consensus five-star prospect.
"It's been a lot of belief in myself," said Gabriel. "Now I'm going to Kentucky and I know that all I have to do is do what I do best. I have that confidence now that it's all on me and I don't have to worry about anything else.
"It feels great."
The third member of Kentucky's recruiting class, Gabriel joins five-star power forward Sacha Killeya-Jones and four-star center Tai Wynyard. A product of New Zealand, Wynyard may enroll early and arrive in December.
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