Indiana is looking to make it two years in a row in the NBA Draft.
Former IU center Kel’el Ware is likely to be selected in the first round on Wednesday, which would be the first time the Hoosiers have had first-round picks in consecutive years since 2013-14. Ware was invited to attend the draft in the Green Room, indicating his probable first-round selection.
Ware played his sophomore year at Indiana after transferring from Oregon. He vastly improved with the Hoosiers. As a freshman on the Ducks, Ware averaged 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from 3-point range. This past season, the big man led IU with 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, and he added 1.5 assists and 0.6 steals per game. Ware also shot a team-best 58.6 percent from the field, and he improved to a 42.5 percent 3-point shooter.
Various NBA mock drafts have Ware going to several different teams. Most major mock drafts peg the center going in the back half of the first round, though some write-ups give him an outside chance at going in the lottery. Should that happen, he would be the first IU player taken in the lottery since Romeo Langford in 2019.
We saw the potential. Who’s next? @KelelWare | #ProIU pic.twitter.com/PkUJPDwcpY
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) June 24, 2024
Yahoo! Sports (Krysten Peek), On3 (James Fletcher III), The Athletic (Sam Vecenie), and ESPN (Jonathan Givony) projected Ware to the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 23 overall.
The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor) and Bleacher Nation (Matt Rooney) put Ware at the 17th pick to the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBADraft.net picked the center to go to the New York Knicks at the 25th pick.
CBS Sports (Adam Finkelstein) had Ware at the 21st overall selection to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Sports Illustrated projected him to the Sacramento Kings at the 13th overall pick.
FOX Sports (John Fanta) picked Ware to go at No. 18 overall to the Orlando Magic.
Bleacher Report (Zach Buckley) envisioned the Boston Celtics trading up with New Orleans to No. 24 overall to take the big man.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune (Marcus Fuller) projected Ware to the Phoenix Suns at No. 22 overall.
Andrew Weatherman posted a composite of 41 mock drafts, and Ware’s average position is No. 19:
The 2024 NBA Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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