WenyenGabriel
- position Forward
- height 6-9
- Weight 213
- class Freshman
- Hometown Manchester, N.H.
- Major Pre-Communication
- High school Wilbraham & Monson Academy
Follow @WenyenGabriel on Twitter | Follow @wenyengabriel
2017-18
Sophomore: Declared for 2018 NBA Draft … Made the Sacramento Kings’ 2018 Summer League team … Improved in virtually every major statistical category in a breakout sophomore season, including new highs in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, 3-point field goals, field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage … Finished second on the team with 42 3-pointers, including 20 over the final 11 games … Led the Wildcats in blocks with 40 swats … Led UK in blocks in a team-high 14 games … Named to the Southeastern Conference All-Tournament Team after averaging 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks during UK’s three-game run to the SEC championship … Appeared in 37 games with seven starts … Averaged 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds … Grabbed at least six rebounds in 19 games … Recorded his first double-double of the season with 16 points and a season-high 12 rebounds vs. Buffalo in the second round of the NCAA Tournament … Also made three 3-pointers vs. Buffalo … Scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, including a key offensive board late, vs. Tennessee in the SEC Tournament championship game … Put on a performance for the ages with a career-high-tying 23 points on seven 3-pointers vs. Alabama in the SEC Tournament semifinals … The 7-for-7 outing from behind the arc set UK school records and SEC Tournament records for most 3-pointers without a miss … Also swatted a career-high tying three shots vs. the Crimson Tide … Scored 15 points with two 3-pointers and six rebounds vs. Ole Miss … Scored eight points at Missouri in just 18 minutes … Did a little bit of everything in the 17-point comeback win at No. 7/7 West Virginia, recording six points, nine rebounds, three assists and a career-high-tying three blocks … Posted 10 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes vs. Florida … Scored 11 points with three 3-pointers in 19 minutes at No. 23/22 Tennessee … Scored a then-season-high 16 points with three 3-pointers and six rebounds vs. UCLA … Solid seven-point, nine-rebound game vs. Virginia Tech … Just missed out on a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds vs. Fort Wayne … Logged his first double-digit scoring effort of the season with 12 points and six rebounds vs. Troy … Opened the season with 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks vs. Utah Valley.
2016-17
Freshman: Appeared in all 38 games and made 23 starts … Averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game … His 4.8 rebounds ranked fourth on the team … Utilized a 40.5 percent field-goal clip, including a 31.7 percent clip from behind the arc … Scored in double figures in seven games, including a career-high 23-point performance in a win over LSU … Had two double-figure rebounding efforts and led the team in blocks in 11 games … Hauled in four or more rebounds in 24 games … Had six points, five rebounds and a block in a win at Missouri … His 23-point performance against LSU began a 14-game winning streak for the Wildcats … In that game he also hauled in eight rebounds and had two assists while connecting on a career-high three 3-pointers … Had back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts in wins at Mississippi State and at home against eventual Final Four participant South Carolina … Against the Bulldogs, he also added eight rebounds and a career-high tying three blocks … Hauled in a regular-season team-high 16 boards vs. Auburn while also contributing six points and a pair of blocks … It was the most rebounds by a Wildcat since Julius Randle had 16 vs. LSU on March 14, 2014 … Scored 10 points and had seven rebounds and four assists in a win over Arizona State in the Bahamas … Logged 15 points and six rebounds against UT Martin … Began a three-game stretch of double-figure scoring with 10 points against Cleveland State … In that game with the Vikings, he also had 10 rebounds for his first career double-double, while also providing a career-high six assists … Breakout game came against No. 13/13 Michigan State in Madison Square Garden where he posted four points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block in an all-around effort … Opened the year by scoring 10 points and had two steals in a win over Stephen F. Austin.
HIGH SCHOOL
Forward who averaged 22.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.0 blocks and 6.3 assists at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, as a senior … Made the Naismith All-America Third Team … A two-time most valuable player for Wilbraham & Monson Academy … Suited up for Mass Rivals on the AAU circuit … A 1,000-point scorer in high school … Participated in the Jordan Brand Classic game and was a member of the Nike Hoop Summit … Ranked as high as No. 12 in the national rankings by Scout … Rivals tabbed him at No. 13 overall and ESPN and 247Sports rated him as the No. 14 player in the 2016 class … Ranked No. 8 overall in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index … Named to the 2016 USA Junior National Select Team.
PERSONAL
Born March 26 in Khartoum, Sudan … Major is pre-communication … Son of Rebecca Gak and Makuar Gob … Sister, Karima, played basketball at Boston College … Chose his jersey number in honor of a cousin who passed away when he was younger … A talent he lists he would most like to have is the ability to rap … Lists watching anime as a hobby outside of basketball … His definition of a true hero is someone who fights for those who cannot … Chose Kentucky over Duke, Connecticut and Maryland.