Wenyen messaging recruit

[Blueblood410]

I remember people comparing him to KD, and I wonder if this is what the coaches sold him on.

Problem was, Wenyen doesn't have 1/10th of the ball handling that KD does. Therefore, you get stuck on the perimeter because you can still shoot threes decently.

 

[Bluedog1]

As a further addendum to my post. Remember these good times right now. For all the fussing we do sometimes about Cal (I truly do think he should have 3 more titles, at least 2 here and one at Memphis) This has been a blast. Remember BCG? Or even Sutton ? Or Tubby? All good guys, well at least Tubby was a good guy. Only a handful of guys can handle this job.. Cal is one of them

 

[SophiesDad]

I remember people comparing him to KD, and I wonder if this is what the coaches sold him on.

Problem was, Wenyen doesn't have 1/10th of the ball handling that KD does. Therefore, you get stuck on the perimeter because you can still shoot threes decently.

Anyone who was comparing Wenyen to KD shouldn’t be able to comment on anything else involving basketball. Ever.

 

[kyups01]

I remember people comparing him to KD, and I wonder if this is what the coaches sold him on.

Problem was, Wenyen doesn't have 1/10th of the ball handling that KD does. Therefore, you get stuck on the perimeter because you can still shoot threes decently.

Wenyen was a late bloomer...emploded his summer before senior year. He was always considered somewhat of a project with a high ceiling

 

[kyups01]

I personally didnt see anything wrong with what he said. He told the truth. IF you are not ready for prime time and to be THE DOG , or one of THE DOGS , UK may not be the best place for you. Wenyen couldnt dribble and IF you cannot dribble and you dont have the center of gravity to post up well (guys with narrow hips usually get moved out of the post easily) then you either become a pick and pop guy or a run and dunk guy. Willie Cauley became a run and dunk guy, where you sprint the floor and clean up the messes but rarely score in the half court except off of put backs. Wenyan couldnt dribble, and so he became a catch and shoot guy. This is not just at UK, this is everywhere. Cal IS A SALESMAN. If he were not the CEO of UK basketball he would be a CEO of a corporation somewhere. This is a multi-multi million dollar business and Cal runs it like such. For all the criticism Cal`s gets about his lack of X and O`s (which is false). The guy knows how to build and run and empire. He is a marketing whiz, quite possibly the best in college sports. He is selling a product and a brand and you better be willing to come in and fit. If you do, you benefit. If you dont then it just wont work for you, or if you lack elite talent another school is a better fit. He tells them up front, "I cant hide you". Hes right, they dont play zone (which I think is a mistake at times). There is NO hiding in UK`S program. It is 24/7 . I wish Jaden well and he will probably be in the league one day. I think he`d get there sooner at UK though...

But it sounded like he was recruiting against his own team. No matter what anyone says he was doing it with intentions not supportive of UK...people can take up for him all they want but the tone of the message was clear and its "I'm bitter and gonna try to hurt UK's chances with this recruit"

 

[king of cali]

If an ex player is bashing Cal to potential recruits how are we supposed to react to that? Recruiting is cut throat enough. Is there any doubt if some other coaches became aware of something like this they would use it? We may understand it, but other coaches could spin it differently.

Nowhere did Gabriel bash Calipari. He told his truth from his perspective. Calipari sold him on being the next Durant, then when he got to campus he was placed somewhere else. He even admitted that much of it was his fault.

It’s funny that when stories came out about Coach K this board was all over it and buying. Now that one player has said something negative about Calipari, and it really wasn’t all that bad, this same board is in a state of denial. Gabriel is certainly not the first, and won’t be the last, who looks on his time at UK with less than blue tinted glasses. It’s the nature of collegiate sports.

 

[kyups01]

Nowhere did Gabriel bash Calipari. He told his truth from his perspective. Calipari sold him on being the next Durant, then when he got to campus he was placed somewhere else. He even admitted that much of it was his fault.

It’s funny that when stories came out about Coach K this board was all over it and buying. Now that one player has said something negative about Calipari, and it really wasn’t all that bad, this same board is in a state of denial. Gabriel is certainly not the first, and won’t be the last, who looks on his time at UK with less than blue tinted glasses. It’s the nature of collegiate sports.

I view what he said as an act of treason lol. Yeah...agree though people act like Cal is a Saint....drives me mad. But Gabriel had no business sending that to a potential recruit ....say it to the media would be a better look...but dont try and knock us out of a recruit....a recruit that he apparently didn't even know.

 

[RobJones1978]

But it sounded like he was recruiting against his own team. No matter what anyone says he was doing it with intentions not supportive of UK...people can take up for him all they want but the tone of the message was clear and its "I'm bitter and gonna try to hurt UK's chances with this recruit"

It sounds like he was being honest. It also sounds like at the King’s agree that he wasn’t used right.

 

[BoulderCat_rivals187983]

Nowhere did Gabriel bash Calipari. He told his truth from his perspective. Calipari sold him on being the next Durant, then when he got to campus he was placed somewhere else. He even admitted that much of it was his fault.

It’s funny that when stories came out about Coach K this board was all over it and buying. Now that one player has said something negative about Calipari, and it really wasn’t all that bad, this same board is in a state of denial. Gabriel is certainly not the first, and won’t be the last, who looks on his time at UK with less than blue tinted glasses. It’s the nature of collegiate sports.

Good to know, obviously I haven’t seen the message. I’m sure others have been disappointed with their time at UK, but have mostly remained silent. Like my parents told me, and maybe yours to if you can’t say something nice about someone then don’t say anything. It doesn’t bother me it’s recruiting, the ugly side of college sports. Some rival recruiters would use anything and out of context never mentioning the young man also said it was in part his fault.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

We have heard for years how blatant cal was in talking to these kids. This is just another example of it not working out. I do think cal changed his approach in recruiting talent to uk, than at his other stops based on the stakes. That said, weynen is pissed because cal was doing what he said he always tried to do. Make you comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. Weynen didn’t get that

 

[HagginHall1999]

Gabriel publicly apologizing. At least he owned up to it, no real excuses.

I know he meant for it to be a private message but man this is bad. With more thought I now think this is as bad as the Macy debacle.

Hoping UK can leverage that video to overcome any leverage other programs try and get.

 

[UK90]

This may be a morbid thought, but I wonder if Wenyen might now be secretly hoping McDaniels is a bust.

If he doesn't turn out to be much, this story will fade away and be forgotten. But if he blows up and becomes a huge star, the BBN will not forget and Wenyen will long be remembered as the UK player who drove Jaden McDaniels away from UK.

 

[kyups01]

Gabriel publicly apologizing. At least he owned up to it, no real excuses.

I know he meant for it to be a private message but man this is bad. With more thought I now think this is as bad as the Macy debacle.

Hoping UK can leverage that video to overcome any leverage other programs try and get.

It is worse...he got caught tryna be slick. Macy said it for all to hear...gabriel went the 2 faced little girl route

 

[HagginHall1999]

This may be a morbid thought, but I wonder if Wenyen might now be secretly hoping McDaniels is a bust.

If he doesn't turn out to be much, this story will fade away and be forgotten. But if he blows up and becomes a huge star, the BBN will not forget and Wenyen will long be remembered as the UK player who drove Jaden McDaniels away from UK.

That is probably true.

I was also thinking the whole UK video is in a way sticking it to Wenyen. He is really in a no win situation here...I mean really the only way he could possibly win is in your hypothetical.

 

[Gus Polinski]

... https://247sports.com/Article/wenye...-wildcats-basketball-john-calipari-137475043/

 

[Panthur]

Sometimes we forget, Calipari is Italian, part Sicilian.

All I want to know is:

If this story is true, what will pop out of a bowl of rice if Wenyen goes to Indochina.

 

[ekywildcat_rivals26726]

I think the message makes WG sound more like a lazy player than anything about Cal. Complains about how freaking hard it is, admits he made a lot of mistakes.

If this scares off a player, we don't need him.

 

[CatfanMike47]

I think the message makes WG sound more like a lazy player than anything about Cal. Complains about how freaking hard it is, admits he made a lot of mistakes.

If this scares off a player, we don't need him.

Wonder if the Cunningham’s requesting that visit was about this tweet? Maybe they want to know if they’re being lied to?

 

[ok-cats-computer]

Wenyen Gabriel sent a private message to a recruit to say negative things about Kentucky. Gabriel hadn't even met the recruit prior to sending the message. He obviously did it to sabotage Kentucky's recruiting. He betrayed Kentucky and stabbed Cal in the back. I hope Gabriel stays away from Kentucky, because we don't need a snake in the grass like that around the program.

 

[AFKY_Blue_RedsBengals]

Wenyen had been recruited and offered a scholarship to go to DOOK as well. If he feels he would have been better off elsewhere because he believes Cal & staff weren't honest with him, imagine the horseshit Coach K would have fed him. He'd probably still be at DOOK and K doesn't have Cal's track record of developing kids to the NBA. Cal started him having proved nothing over a Senior Derek Willis and even admitted to not being able to play him against UNCheat.

Just about everyone publicly states over and over 'Cal keeps it real with them, says UK isn't for everyone.' It's said so much that of course people here ***** about it used as part of Cal's recruiting pitch and not selling UK Program enough. Few have chosen to make their frustrations known publicly for so many talented players & future pros. Those few should look internally at themselves when you consider guys like Josh Harrellson & even Wenyen Gabriel himself made it on NBA rosters.

 

[kyups01]

Also it should he noted that the recruit he helped sway away from UK had a monster game for Washington yesterday

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Jaden McDaniels had a solid first game for Washington.

I'm already anticipating the kid going in the top 10 of the draft. With every solid outing he has, I'll partially think of Gabriel, and partially think of EJ returning.

6'9" lottery picks with guard skills don't grow on trees. It's too bad Wenyen had to play a part in keeping UK from landing what amounts to a unicorn in the college basketball world.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Also, before the "shield Wenyen posse" arrives by arguing that the message was no big deal and didn't play a factor in Jaden's choice, just remember this: the message was important enough for Jaden to leak it to others. If it was no big deal, he would have never leaked it.

So yes, Gabriel's message did, in part, keep us from landing Jaden.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Wonder if the Cunningham’s requesting that visit was about this tweet? Maybe they want to know if they’re being lied to?

I don't think that would be the case.

Cunningham would be able to do whatever he wanted to do here at UK. Gabriel was different. He was always going to be a project and a second tier type player on the college level.

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

I agree. It would be reason enough for me as a program to never let him come around. This could be a reason as to why we've lost some recruits, players badmouthing the coach. I hope not.

You're a program? Lay off the carbs.

 

[ScrooDook92]

Also it should he noted that the recruit he helped sway away from UK had a monster game for Washington yesterday

WG definitely should have kept it to himself. He had sour grapes, but didn't do what it took to meet his own expectations.

 

[kyups01]

WG definitely should have kept it to himself. He had sour grapes, but didn't do what it took to meet his own expectations.

Guarantee you Calipari isnt too fond of Gabriel anymore either.