The Hoosiers’ big man is set to take on the next level.
Indiana sophomore center Kel’el Ware will declare for the 2024 NBA Draft, per Travis Branham of 247Sports:
BREAKING: Indiana star big man Kel’el Ware has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, he tells @247Sports.
Former McDonald’s All American that projects as a first round pick. || Story: https://t.co/RBU6Yr4yvJ pic.twitter.com/6g5V0RBCdp
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) March 26, 2024
Ware, originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, began his college career at Oregon as a former McDonald’s All-American and top-10 recruit. Things didn’t go well with the Ducks though, as his minutes decreased while the season went on.
He entered the transfer portal as one of the top prospects last offseason facing questions about his motor and competitive drive, committing to Indiana not long after a visit to Bloomington.
From there, Ware started to shift the narrative about his career. He started every game he was available for the Hoosiers with his season averages taking a massive leap from his previous year with the Ducks.
He went through something of a slump in December, failing to score over 13 points in five consecutive games. At Oregon, he was sent to the bench for that kind of performance. Indiana allowed him to play through it, and he figured things out from there.
Ware nearly averaged a double-double in the 2023-24 season with 15.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest. He had career days against Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan State scoring 27, 26 and 28 points.
When he had trouble getting points on the board, he was under the rim using his length to haul in rebounds. His presence on defense affected teams going for the rim, with a few blocks here and there deterring that course of action.
All things considered, he helped put concerns about his motor to bed to solidify his status as an NBA Draft prospect.