'An Extremely Gifted Player': Kel'el Ware Joins Indiana Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Mike Woodson made a splash in the transfer portal this week, landing Kel'el Ware, a 7-footer from Oregon with three years of remaining eligibility.
Ware announced his decision to become a Hoosier on Monday, and Woodson shared his thoughts on the newest addition to the 2023-24 team on Friday.
“Kel’el is an extremely gifted player who will bring a lot to our program," Woodson said in a release. "He is a tremendous athlete whose skill level in all facets of the game will make us better. He’s a rim protector with great size and length, he runs the floor so well, he can shoot and he’s someone who competed and won at a high level in high school. We welcome he and his family to Bloomington and to Hoosier Nation.”
Ware first committed to Oregon as a consensus five-star recruit. He was ranked No. 6 by 247Sports, No. 7 by Rivals and No. 8 in the ESPN Top 100 for the class of 2022.
As a freshman under coach Dana Altman, Ware averaged 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.8 minutes of action per game and led the Ducks with 45 blocks. He shot 53.4 percent on 2-point attempts, made 15-of-55 3-point shots and converted 71.2 percent of free throws.
Ware started four games during non-conference play, playing over 34 minutes against Michigan State and Villanova, but he came off the bench and did not play more than 19 minutes in any game when the calendar turned to 2023.
Ware had a strong start to his freshman year, but his playing time and production decreased as the season went on. He scored 18 points with nine rebounds against the eventual national champion UConn Huskies on Nov. 24. Two days later, Ware scored 17 points with nine rebounds against Michigan State, followed by 13 points and seven rebounds against Villanova.
Prior to Oregon, Ware led North Little Rock High School to back-to-back Arkansas state championships and was the 2021 state tournament MVP. As a senior, he averaged 21.2 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.7 blocks for coach Johnny Rice.
Ware participated in the McDonald's All-American, where he scored eight points with a team-high 10 rebounds. He also played in the Jordan Brand Classic with current Indiana forward Malik Reneau and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jalen Hood-Schifino, who recently declared for the NBA Draft. Ware was selected to play in the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship and the 2022 USA Nike Hoop Summit.
As of Friday, Indiana has three available scholarships if Xavier Johnson's medical hardship waiver is approved.
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