Kentucky Basketball: You’re Going To Love Wenyen Gabriel

5. Rebounding

If nothing else goes well for the Kentucky Wildcats, then they can hang their hat on the big men’s ability to crash the boards. Bam Adebayo has been established as a dominant rebounder, and Wenyen Gabriel has similar potential.

According to Metz Camfield of CoachCal.com, that’s exactly how Gabriel plans to establish himself in 2016-17.

"“I was trying to figure out how I was going to get on the floor and one thing you have to do is get rebounds, and that’s how you can get rebounds: You have to go after it,” Gabriel said. “And I play defense. I wanted to play. I really, really felt like I deserved to be on the court so it kind of picked up and it became part of my identity as a player.”"

That’s a skill that can both keep Gabriel on the floor and help Kentucky win.

It’s an age-old proverb that basketball fans have embraced as fact: if you win the battle on the boards, you win the game. It isn’t an exact science, but generally speaking, that theory has been proven true.

When a team is able to control the boards, they can control the pace—and that’s the ultimate form of control.

Gabriel is capable of pulling down a defensive board and throw an accurate outlet pass to one of his many explosive guards. Isaiah Briscoe, De’Aaron Fox, and Malik Monk should all benefit from that ability.

Gabriel is also a workhorse, which means he could develop into one of the better offensive rebounders in the country.

Next: Line Him Up