Indiana big man Kel’el Ware has decided to enter his name in the 2024 NBA draft and will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility, he tells Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter link). Ware published an Instagram post thanking his teammates and the coaching staff at Indiana.
A 7’0″ center, Ware transferred from Oregon to Indiana after his freshman season and enjoyed a breakout year as a sophomore in 2023/24. In 30 games for the Hoosiers, he averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 32.2 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .586/.425/.634.
Once considered a potential top-10 prospect for the 2023 NBA draft, Ware struggled to make an impact during his first college season at Oregon and saw his stock drop over the course of the 2022/23 season. He decided against entering last year’s draft amid concerns about whether or not he would be drafted.
However, Ware’s draft stock has bounced back nicely this season — Goodman refers to the youngster as a “likely” first-round pick, and he’s at No. 26 on ESPN’s big board.
That’s a lot of orange soda…
Bad draft. 10 years ago, Kel’el Ware would need to return to school for another year of “seasoning”. But, here we are. He’s soft. However, not sure why he is only #26 on the board. He is 7’0 center, but he can switch defensively, offers rim protection, and he likes to shoot the 3 ball. He is absolutely a better prospect than the Fillipowski kid at Duke, who doesn’t shoot the 3, offers, no rim protection, and can’t switch, but somehow is supposed to be a Top 10 pick. If you are gonna take a shot at getting a 3 and D rotation big. Ware ain’t a bad place to start.
fillipowski, the next plumleezeller.
Going to IND was a good move for him, but Ware is (still) a victim of AAU un-development. I’m not sure how bigs like him make up for lost time, but college programs are no longer a development sanctuary for that.
NYK might look at Ware late in the first round, if all checks out with Woodson, which I was told it will. NYK will likely have two FRPs in the back half of a “weak” draft, and I don’t think they’ll be much of a trade market for a 2-for-1 move up, or to move either of the 2 for a future FRP unless its heavily protected. So, with no RSC’s on the roster, I’d like to see them use both picks. One can be used on a big to “redshirt” for the year. This is NOT about trading Mitch or letting Hartenstein walk. Ware is years away from being ready to anchor an NBA defense.
26th pick lol