The Indiana men’s basketball program currently has seven former players in the National Basketball Association. On Wednesday night, Kel’el Ware hopes to make it eight.
Ware, the 7-foot, 210-pound center from North Little Rock, Arkansas, starred at center in his lone season with the Hoosiers, leading the team with 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 42.5% from 3-point range during the 2023-24 season.
Indiana added Ware in the spring of 2023 as a transfer from the University of Oregon, where he arrived as a 5-star recruit. He struggled as a freshman, averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while sliding down the Ducks’ rotation down the stretch.
In Bloomington, Ware stepped into big shoes as the rim-defending, volume-shooting replacement of Hoosier great Trayce Jackson-Davis, who was drafted No. 57 overall by the Golden State Warriors last spring.
But the spotlight didn’t prove too much for Ware, who earned All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media while also receiving a nod on the conference’s all-defensive team. His 15 double-doubles ranked second in the Big Ten behind Purdue’s Zach Edey.
“It was awesome,” Ware said Tuesday with a smile, during media availabilities in Brooklyn, New York. “I got nothing but great vibes after playing at Assembly Hall and being there at IU. I definitely loved my whole year there.”
Now, Ware finds himself under the bright lights of Brooklyn, where the 2024 NBA Draft begins with the first round Wednesday night. The NBA invited 24 prospects from around the world — including Ware — to attend the draft and take the stage when their name is called.
Some players may have to wait until the second round Thursday, but Ware isn’t expected to be one of them.
The 20-year-old Ware has been frequently projected as a mid-to-late first-round draft pick by analysts. In ESPN’s final mock draft, he slotted at No. 24 to the New York Knicks, while The Athletic had him at No. 23.
Ware said Tuesday he did private workouts with 16 different NBA teams — over half the league — this summer and expects to be a first-round selection.
Indiana’s storied program has had 77 players drafted into the NBA, including a pair in 2023 — guard Jalen Hood-Schifino at No. 17 to the Los Angeles Lakers and Jackson-Davis some 40 picks thereafter. Hood-Schifino and Jackson-Davis were the first two draftees of Indiana head coach Mike Woodson’s tenure, which began with the 2021-22 season.
Romeo Langford was the Hoosiers’ last lottery pick, as he went No. 14 overall to the Boston Celtics in 2019.
Ware may not ultimately reach the heights of the top 14 and become Woodson’s first lottery pick, but he’s expected to give the Hoosiers their second first-round pick in as many seasons.
The question now becomes who helps Ware realize his NBA dream — an answer coming after the draft starts at 8 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN and ABC.
