Kentucky Basketball: You’re Going To Love Wenyen Gabriel

4. Positional Versatility

Wenyen Gabriel is comparable to Anthony Davis in the sense that he grew from a point guard’s body into a power forward’s body during his high school years. He was 6’1″ entering his freshman year of high school and now stands at 6’10”.

According to Metz Camfield of CoachCal.com, head coach John Calipari believes that Gabriel is essentially a 6’10” guard.

"“When I saw Wenyen, I knew he had grown from 6-3 to 6-10. I see him as a 6-10 guard in the sense that, if we’re playing three guards, he’s one of them. He can really shoot it, he’s got a great shot and he’s a shot blocker defensively. He’s an energy guy who can defend multiple positions and is getting better by the day.”"

While the guard hypothesis will need to be corroborated on the court, Gabriel can certainly play the 3.

Gabriel last measured at 6’9.5″ and 197 pounds with a 7’1″ wingspan and a 9’1″ standing reach. Those are tremendous physical gifts for a power forward, albeit with a thin frame that he needs to add muscle to.

Coupled with his quality athleticism, they’re also physical gifts that permit him to become a full-time small forward.

Gabriel can step in at the 4 if Bam Adebayo can play the 5, which is likely to transpire in 2016-17. It’s also possible that Adebayo could play the 4 and Gabriel could spend minutes at the 3 if Kentucky goes big.

Regardless of which front court position he lines up at, Gabriel has the size, length, athleticism, and skill level to excel.

Next: Doing It All