Photo by Keyli Chisesi (Go Big Blue Country)
If you’re a die-hard Kentucky fan then you have gone back and watched last nights thriller vs. Vanderbilt at least twice today. If you have, you have noticed the big plays that turned the tide for the Wildcats in the final ten minutes of regulation and overtime.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the team on his back on his way to scoring a career-high 30 points. The freshman arguably had the biggest play of the night when he calmly stepped to the line to sink two game-tying free throws with 2 seconds to play in regulation. One could also argue that momentum swinging three’s from Kevin Knox or Quade Green’s game-winning layup with 4.3 seconds to play was the play of the game but one that is going unnoticed came from Kentucky’s energy guy.
With Kentucky trailing 70-65, Knox shot a three-pointer from the left wing that missed everything. The ball was headed straight out of bounds and possession would’ve gone to Vanderbilt. However, Wenyen Gabriel somehow gets his hand on the ball and deflects it off a Vanderbilt player to retain possession for Kentucky. He had turned the ball over on the previous play but made up for it in a big way, as Kentucky got points on the possession.
The play might have gone unnoticed to some, especially with all the big moments that followed but SGA likely doesn’t get two free three throws to tie the game if Gabriel doesn’t make that play and Kentucky never gets to overtime where Green won it with a coast-to-coast layup.
The “veteran” sophomore does a lot for the Wildcats that isn’t noticed but John Calipari makes sure Gabriel gets the praise he deserves. He doesn’t blow you away with his stats but if there were statistics for hustle plays like that one, Gabriel’s name would be all over it.
The sophomore forward has bought into his role and as a result, he is contributing nicely off the bench, although he started for PJ Washington last night. Gabriel is on pace to have career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots this season. Additionally, he is shooting 35.7 percent from three-point range, higher than his 31.7 percent mark last season.
How valuable was he vs. Vanderbilt? He played 31 minutes and didn’t score a point but he didn’t let that prevent him from giving every ounce of effort to give his team another chance.
