Kentucky basketball: Wenyen Gabriel needs to be better

The Kentucky basketball team has won back-to-back games. But for the Wildcats to advance deep into the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, Wenyen Gabriel needs to be more consistent.

Wenyen Gabriel has had the most up-and-down, inconsistent season of anyone on this year’s Kentucky basketball team. I think Big Blue Nation assumed, being one of the few returning players to Kentucky’s roster, Gabriel would be one of the leaders on this year’s team. So while Gabriel has been great for the younger players on UK’s roster, he hasn’t elevated his play consistently.

At this point in the season, I don’t think anyone expects Gabriel to be a game changer, but he needs to play more consistent than he has recently. Over the last 5 games, Gabriel is averaging 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds. Perhaps what UK needs more than anything from Gabriel is consistent three-point shooting. Over that same 5-game span, Gabriel is only knocking down 25% from downtown.

Earlier this season, Wenyen Gabriel had a 7-game streak in which he was hitting 55% from three-point territory. While shooting better than 50% from downtown is not very realistic, Kentucky needs Gabriel to shoot better than 35%.

Gabriel is a talented player. He was a great “energy guy” off the bench earlier in the season, but Calipari obviously felt otherwise since he inserted Wenyen into the the starting lineup. Gabriel has started 4 games this season. In those 4 games, he’s averaged 4.5 points, 4.25 rebounds and 1.75 turnovers. On the season, Gabriel is averaging 6 points and 5.3 rebounds.

The Kentucky Wildcats don’t need Gabriel to be Superman, especially with players like Jarred Vanderbilt and PJ Washington playing at a higher level of late. The Kentucky basketball team needs Gabriel to bring his high-level energy and meet his season averages. If Wenyen is able to energize the Cats when he’s on the floor, this team will be successful come March.