Kentucky Basketball: 3 Things We Have Learned After The First Two Rounds of The NCAA Tournament

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Mar 17, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Wenyen Gabriel (32) falls as he drives to the basket against Northern Kentucky Norse forward Jordan Garnett (1) during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Wenyen Gabriel is Not Helping Our Cause

Wenyen Gabriel was a five-star recruit out of Manchester, New Hampshire by way of the Sudan. He finished a prep career as the No. 14 overall rated prospect in his class by ESPN. Gabriel has been a starter for most of the season due to his extreme athleticism and ability to rebound and run the floor. The 6-foot-9 freshman has shown some bright spots throughout the season including a 23 point effort against LSU on February 7.

Lately though, Gabriel has not contributed much to the cause. It seems as though Wenyen Gabriel is playing with a huge weight on his shoulders. He is sporadic off of the boards and cannot hit a jump shot at a consistent rate to save his life. Maybe the young man can turn it around. But, from the looks of things throughout the first two games of the NCAA Tournament, it seems as though Coach Cal might be sending a message. In the past five games, Gabriel has played a total of 49 minutes. Four of those five games included the freshman seeing no more than 10 minutes. So far, in the post season, Gabriel has tallied just five total points and 13 rebounds. Definitely not something you want to see from a former starter.

Replaced by Experience

Lately, Senior Derek Willis has taken over the starting four-spot duties considering he has been a defense fiend for the Cats. It remains to be seen if Gabriel can fix his play throughout the remaining games in the Tournament. If not, the Wildcats may be in a tough spot as the bench grows shorter and shorter.

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