Kel'el Ware

Kel'el Ware grew up in North Little Rock, Arkansas and attended North Little Rock High School. As a junior, he averaged 16.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game. However, it was Ware's senior year that recruiters and teams took notice. He finished his senior campaign averaging 20.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 5.7 blocks per game. During his senior season, he also played in the Jordan Brand Classic, Nike Hoop Summit, and the 2022 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. His strong play made him a 5-star recruit and was considered one of the top overall players in his class by recruiting services. With tons of offers to play basketball, Ware finally settled and committed to play hoops at Oregon. Ware started his freshman year at Oregon as the team's #2 center. After averaging 26 minutes played, 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks over the first nine games of the season, Ware saw a steep decline in playing time due to what Oregon's coaching staff tabbed as an inconsistent work ethic. He finished the season averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. At the end of the season, Ware entered the NCAA transfer portal, where he ultimately transferred to Indiana. Kel'el Ware had a huge bounce back year for the Hoosiers in 2023. He averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. His performance in 2023 put him back on the map of NBA teams. He declared for the NBA after the season.