Gabriel’s Emergence Traced to Unceasing Effort

While outsiders were wondering whether the light would come on for Wenyen Gabriel as a freshman, the coach who works more closely with him than anyone had different feelings.

Foremost among them was swelling pride.

“Really proud of Wenyen because when Wenyen was struggling his effort wasn’t struggling. It was just production,” Kentucky associate head coach Kenny Payne said, filling in for John Calipari at UK’s media availability before a trip to Tennessee on Tuesday at 9 p.m.

The struggles were well documented and much talked about, particularly as Coach Cal repeatedly referenced the need for improved play at the four position – the one most often manned by Gabriel and senior Derek Willis. After storming out of the gates in November with consistent scoring and rebounding, Gabriel began to struggle on defense and as a rebounder. His confidence waned, as did his scoring opportunities and rebounding.

Gabriel’s effort and nonstop motor, however, never escaped the notice of coaches, which is why they always believed the tide would turn. And so it has. 

“I think I’ve built some more confidence recently, knocking down some more shots,” Gabriel said. “I feel like I’m playing my game now and everything’s just starting to come to me now.”

Over his last three games, Gabriel has combined to score 30 points. In the nine games prior – spanning well over a month – he’d had just 27.

“Now he’s knocking down shots, now he’s playing more confident, now he feels more reassured in what he is doing and you are seeing the real him,” Payne said. “That is who he is.”

Gabriel’s main issues came in the form of coping with physical play and being beaten on defense by bigger, more experienced opponents. Of course he’s made incremental gains in terms of strength, but he hasn’t added enough to his 6-foot-9, 213-pound frame to explain such a radical transformation.

The things that do explain it are gains in confidence and adjustments to the college game.

“Everything, the jump from high school to college, is real different,” Gabriel said. “The physicality, the speed. You gotta learn the game real quick. You gotta learn how to play really fast now.”

That’s a change Isaac Humphries knows well.

“I think he’s just finding his footing and he’s finally figuring it all out for himself,” Humphries said. “I mean, he’s a freshman, he’s young – he’s probably older than me, I think he is – but he’s a freshman and it does take some time, but I think he’s figuring it out now.”

Gabriel has suddenly become a potent offensive threat, knocking down eight 3s over his last three games and scoring in double figures twice in a row. Last time out, he attempted eight treys – more than Malik Monk – which might have seemed unthinkable only a couple weeks ago.

“I feel like every single one is going to go in, so that’s why I’m shooting,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel is clearly brimming with confidence on offense, but the genesis of that actually came on the other end of the floor. Maligned for his defense and rebounding much of the season, Gabriel burst onto the scene in UK’s game against Auburn last Saturday with a career-best 16 rebounds.

He only scored six points in that game, but the offense would came in wins over the next week against Mississippi State and South Carolina.

“Now he’s learning to be an offensive player that takes open shots, which Coach Cal is on him about, and he’s rebounding the ball better,” Payne said. “He’s playing excellent defense. He’s helping off the ball. He’s doing everything that we ask him to do.”

What a difference a couple weeks can make.