This morning Matt Jones mentioned Wenyen Gabriel dmed a recruit. What was he talking about? I don't ever remember hearing that story.
Wenyen messaging recruit
- Thread starter TCurtis75_rivals88839
- Start date
Oh god, not this again.
I'm curious as well. The only "Wenyen messaging someone" story I remember is....well.....
To be fair, it was a passing comment. He and Ryan were talking about how proud of him they were for getting a roster spot with the Kings. Matt then asked Ryan if his opinion of Wenyen changed with him dming a recruit. Ryan said he didn't know that story. Matt left it alone after that. I don't remember hearing that story either so I asked.
He DM Jaden McDaniels and basically said don't believe what Cal tells you.
Wenyen would've been used differently if he ever developed the skill of dribbling a basketball. The dude couldn't put in on the deck and go to the rim. It's really that simple.
Hmm weird of him to say considering Cal is the reason he's playing in the NBA. He goes anywhere else and he's barely playing overseas.
Would be curious to hear the full story. I also heard it hinted on the radio.
RuppsRunt had the whole story, not sure he will want to get back into it all, though
Exactly, if true what was in the message was fine by me. The gist from Cal (and the NBA) is that you either can do something with the ball to beat your man or you sit in an open space or set screens and dive off. WG could not dribble and could not post so his role was that.
I usually only get to listen randomly when I am at my desk, shoot I can't off the top of my head.
He sent Marques Bolden meat mail and that’s why he went to Duke instead
It’s not much of a story. DM’d JM and basically just said some things as “advice”:
- gotta be ready to be the man immediately or sit
- have to be able to create or you will be turned into a spot up wing shooter
- have to play D in the middle
- have to set a lot of screens
basically said that he was told one thing and Cal stuck him in a roll he didn’t love. But he said it himself, he couldn’t put the ball on the floor and create anything, so what Cal sold him on never materialized, but only due to his inability to get better in certain ways. He knew the deal, but couldn’t accept it was his own fault.
edit - I don’t think this has much to do with JM’s decision, but if it did, it’s because JM’s knows fully that he will have some of these same issues.
- gotta be ready to be the man immediately or sit
- have to be able to create or you will be turned into a spot up wing shooter
- have to play D in the middle
- have to set a lot of screens
basically said that he was told one thing and Cal stuck him in a roll he didn’t love. But he said it himself, he couldn’t put the ball on the floor and create anything, so what Cal sold him on never materialized, but only due to his inability to get better in certain ways. He knew the deal, but couldn’t accept it was his own fault.
edit - I don’t think this has much to do with JM’s decision, but if it did, it’s because JM’s knows fully that he will have some of these same issues.
dont care what all you hero worshipers of all UK players say....if true this is a VERY bizare thing to send a recruit who potentially is going to your school....and honestly it's the type thing that makes me no longer like a player. This is actually unheard of wtf
Sounds like it was all true but if he thought he did any of those things well and was just looked over he is mistaken. He has made comments in the past on Twitter that made me think he left here a little salty. He has to realize he would be playing in Pakistan if not for Cal and UK's exposure.
The story is on the net ..most know about it,,It was a ****** thing for WG to do...
Yeah why criticize a kid who is steering recruits away from your school..I mean let's not get crazy here.......[eyeroll]
I don't know what he expected when, like even he says, his ball handling was weak.
Well he needs to shut up and stick to porn!
Rumor is he makes up for it in other areas.
Wenyen getting over-blown? (IMPOSSIBLE from what I've heard)
Someone post it but it got deleted
Not sure why it's some big deal.
I guess Wenyen worked out with Jaden McDaniel's brother in a draft camp. He messaged Jaden saying since he was cool with his brother, he should tell him about Kentucky. He said it was hard and also said he made some mistakes. Said JM could be the next Kevin Durant. Then said if your handle is at all shaky, Cal won't let you dribble.
Basically Cal made him stay within himself during games, but Wenyen didn't like it
His ball handling may be weak, but his stick work is impeccable.
This is quite comical for him to say.
I remember the media that year talking about how Cal told him he was not allowed to drive to the basket. Cal took him out every time he tried....because he turned the ball over EVERY. SINGLE TIME.
What did Wenyan expect? Cal to really give him complete freedom when he was a 6'9" PF with absolutely no ball handling skills? Hell no.
He was a spot up shooter. Cal recognized that and forced him to play to his strengths. Which also got him, arguably, his best game of his career as a basketball player and likely got him noticed by the NBA Scouts.
So if Wenyan wants to warn recruits that Cal will identify their best qualities as a basketball player(and person) and utilize them on the court accordingly, then go ahead. I'd much rather have players on the court in blue who are playing to their abilities and not doing things they aren't great at.
It absolutely should not be tolerated. WG struck me as wildly athletic, out of control, uncoachable.
Yes, we all want that, but it's the kind of crap that steers recruits away. Team cancer type stuff.
I 100% agree.
There was a touch of sarcasm in that last paragraph inviting Wenyen to warn recruits.
Most of these guys will develop different strengths they never knew they had when they get on the practice court at Kentucky.
Thankfully, there seems to be a lack of former Cal players who want to talk down about him to recruits. So hopefully his track record will trump the voices of Wenyen.
But Ideally, I'd like players who are salty they didn't get utilized how they wanted prior to getting to Kentucky to keep their mouth shut and out of recruits DM's. At the end of the day, it isn't Cal's fault Wenyen could never develop the skill of dribbling a ball.
This isn't the first time a kid has left school with a damaged ego, and felt the need to defend and deflect. It’s not even the first time this has happened at Kentucky.
This isn’t a big deal.
This isn’t a big deal.
Last edited:
Cal has said repeatedly, "We can't hide you" .
The usual suspects of player bashing are posting in this thread. You know it's gonna happen, already has
Gabriel also had positive things to pass onto Terrence Clarke prior to him making a decision. He's been back to campus since the McDaniels recruitment too. This is much more blown up and really at a very odd time for Matt Jones to even bother throwing this in the air to be discussed. Silly. Recruiting is about the now/future, the past is done. You'd think a guy who apparently is in the know like Jones would also know of Gabriel's positive impact.
What you get from asking ?'s to recruits is what you want to hear. So if you are looking for a reason to go/not go to a school, you can find it. Adidas had far more to do with Jaden McDaniels then anything Gabriel said.
What you get from asking ?'s to recruits is what you want to hear. So if you are looking for a reason to go/not go to a school, you can find it. Adidas had far more to do with Jaden McDaniels then anything Gabriel said.