LEXINGTON, Ky. – Clarion head coach Marcess Williams said it back in October when his team visited Rupp Arena to face Kentucky in an exhibition game.
“I love that kid,” Williams said after the 57-point loss to the Wildcats. “That kid, he might be the best one of them all.”
The kid he was referring to?
Well, it wasn’t Isaiah Brisoce or De’Aaron Fox, the only pair of teammates in Southeastern Conference history to record triple-doubles in the same season. It wasn’t Malik Monk, the guy who scored a Calipari era-high 47 points against none other then North Carolina. And it wasn’t Bam Adeabyo, a guy who’s on pace to break Anthony Davis’ school-record 92 dunks in a season.
Williams was referring to 6-foot-9, 213-pound freshman Wenyen Gabriel. The player who gathered a season-high 16 rebounds in Kentucky’s 92-72 win over Auburn on Saturday. The player who could become the Wildcats final piece to the puzzle to become a championship-level team.
Of his 16 boards, five were on the offensive end. Gabriel also poured in two three-pointers, two blocks and a steal against the Tigers. But there’s one area on offense where Kentucky head coach John Calipari wants to see his forward improve. Free throw shooting.
“I told him you’re a double-double if you make your free throws,” Calipari said.
Against Auburn he was four points away from earning a double-double, and finished… 0-4 from the charity stripe. Knock those free throws down and Gabriel would’ve recorded his first double-double since Nov. 23 against Cleveland State.
Free throws weren’t however a huge issue for the Manchester, N.H. native heading into Saturday’s game. Gabriel was hitting 75 percent from the line and was statistically the second-best option of guys who’ve shot at least 20 free throws this year.
Despite the missed opportunity, Gabriel’s teammates were quick to praise him for his hustle and hard work on the court.
“Wenyen is a great player, and he just had a massive game today,” Bam Adebayo said. “He had 16 rebounds and the balls were going his way. We applaud him for it and hope he can keep doing this going forward.”
If Gabriel continues to rebound at such a high rate and shoots well enough from the floor to be a scoring threat, this team could really begin to reach its full potential – which Calipari said his team was “about a month away” from.
“At the end of the day, if we’re gonna be anything, it’s because we’re a terrific defensive team,” Calipari said. “We’re not there yet.”
Gabriel’s the one who can get them there.
He doesn’t always stuff the stat sheet, but he does hustle and dive on the floor and take charges and fight for loose balls. But most of all, Gabriel said, he’s gaining more and more confidence from these shining performances.
Add the hustle and confidence together, and Marcess Williams might not be the only coach saying Gabriel is the best one of Kentucky’s star-studded bunch.
