Close Menu
    Trending
    Tuesday, October 20

    Former IU basketball center Kel’el Ware chosen No. 15 in first round by Miami

    Mike SchumannBy IU Basketball 12 Comments

    Former IU basketball center Kel’el Ware is a first-round NBA Draft choice.

    Ware was selected No. 15 overall in the first round by the Miami Heat.

    According to IU Athletics, he is the 80th all-time Indiana player chosen in the NBA Draft.

    The 7-foot Ware gives Indiana and head coach Mike Woodson a first round pick for the second straight year.  The Hoosiers have had three players selected over the last two drafts, as Ware joins Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

    Both Ware and Woodson were in attendance at the Draft in Brooklyn, N.Y.

    Ware, an All-Big Ten Second Team selection, averaged team highs in points (15.9 per game), rebounds (9.9), and blocked shots (1.9) for IU in 2023-24. He became the third Hoosier in the last 25 seasons (D.J. White, Trayce Jackson-Davis) to average at least 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds for a season. Ware shot 58.6% (188-of-321) from the floor and 42.5% (17-of-40) from the 3-point line.

    The Big Ten All-Defensive Team honoree added a team-best 15 double-doubles to go along with 19 multi-block contests.

    The North Little Rock, Ark., native measured 6’11.75″ with a 7’4.5″ wingspan and a 9’4.5″ standing reach. All three figures ranked top-5 of all participants in the Draft Combine.

    The Indiana men’s basketball program ranks seventh among all Division I programs with 28 players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft since its inception in 1947. The Hoosiers rank third among Big Ten teams in first-round picks and are one of six conference schools with at least 20 first-round selections.

    IU basketball: The complete all-time list of former Hoosiers selected in the NBA Draft

    For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE.    

    The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

    Keep Reading