Wenyen Gabriel is one of the fastest risers in the college recruiting scene, and now, two top programs want him.
It's a tug of war between Maryland and Duke, former ACC rivals (Maryland transferred to the Big Ten) for Gabriel.
What makes Gabriel special is that he had a growth spurt which made him a 6'10" forward from a 6'5" guard. Thus, he carried his guard skills along with his new position. A player with a similar case like that is Anthony Davis, now one of the top players in the world. Scottie Pippen also had a spurt in his senior high school year, which is why he became the league's "point forward."
This is also why Gabriel was a "late bloomer" in the recruitment game according to SB Nation. "Gabriel is a forward who benefited from a 4-inch growth spurt over the last two years. He's retained some of his guard skills while growing into a versatile forward who can score inside or out."
He also narrowed down his choices: "Gabriel cut his list to five: Duke, Kentucky, UConn, Providence and Maryland. Kansas, who recently offered after Gabriel's breakout summer, did not make the final cut."
Despite the cut, the consensus is that he is favoring Duke. However, Duke's involvement with Harry Giles while they already have Jayson Tatum may be affecting Gabriel's decision. Sports 24/7 reported that Maryland is the beneficiary of this situation.
"Duke has been considered the leader in his Crystal Ball since the Blue Devils offered this summer. Maryland, however, has the last four predictions. The scheduling of an official visit to Duke by power forward Javin DeLaurier has raised some eyebrows in regards to Gabriel and Duke. Also considered the frontrunner for Harry Giles, Duke already has forward Jayson Tatum in the fold."
Gabriel is wary of not getting enough exposure, in case Duke gets all their frontline prospects. It would be similar to Kentucky's situation, where some players' draft stock suffered due to lack of exposure.