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2016 Wenyen Gabriel Commits to Kentucky
Wenyen Gabriel has announced his decision and the fast-rising forward from New Hampshire committed to John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats. Gabriel was down to a final 5 of Connecticut, Duke, Kentucky, Maryland and Providence and had taken visits to Maryland and Kentucky before shutting down his recruitment and announcing his commitment on ESPN’s Recruiting Nation with Adam Finkelstein. Gabriel — who attends Wilbraham and Monson Academy and ran with the Mass Rivals on the adidas Gauntlet series — was a top target for Ed Cooley and the Providence staff but, as was the case with the class of 2015’s top Friar recruiting target Donovan Mitchell, Gabriel blew-up in the spring and summer to rise all the way to the top 20 in the class of 2016 rankings, according to 247sports.com’s composite national rankings.
Gabriel joins fellow versatile forward Sacha Killeya-Jones in Kentucky’s stable of committed players. They are the first two recruits for Calipari and Kentucky in 2016. Gabriel choosing Kentucky is interesting because he likely isn’t a “one-and-done” player as he desperately needs to continue adding weight and strength to his frame that has grown 9 inches since he entered high school.
Providence can now officially move on to other big men prospects in the class of 2016 with the newly minted top target now being PF Sedee Keita of Putnam Science Academy. Providence is also after Worcester Academy PF Kevin Marfo. Marfo took an official visit to Providence last weekend and Keita will be on campus the weekend of October 16th and take in Providence’s Late Night Madness festivities. Gabriel joins a growing list of players that Providence has been in on early — or even first in Gabriel’s case — who have blown up and then committed elsewhere. It’s clear Cooley and his staff have an eye for talent and they are hoping to eventually turn one of these early offers and recruitments into a commitment. That appears to have to now wait until the class of 2017.
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[…] ICYMI – 2016 Wenyen Gabriel Commits to Kentucky […]
[…] Marfo was one of Providence’s top power forward recruiting targets in the class of 2016. The New Jersey native transferred to Worcester Academy last summer to repeat his junior year and subsequently ran with BABC on the grassroots circuit. Providence is still chasing Putnam Science Academy power forward Sedee Keita and Keita is Cooley’s top target now that Wenyen Gabriel has committed to Kentucky. […]