Indiana basketball’s Kel’el Ware feels Mike Woodson prepared him for NBA success

CHICAGO — Kel’el Ware saw what Mike Woodson was able to do with Trayce Jackson-Davis.

That partially is what drew Ware from Oregon to Indiana.

Playing for a former NBA coach who’d just developed an NBA big convinced Ware that Woodson could put him on a similar path.

“He just told me he was going to get me back to where I needed to be,” Ware said. “If I chose to come to Indiana, he would be able to get me back here, he would be able to get me ready for it and I feel like that’s what he did.”

More: Indiana basketball’s Kel’el Ware declares for 2024 NBA Draft

As Ware noted at Tuesday’s NBA Draft Combine, Woodson was correct.

After a freshman season where he struggled at times for Oregon, Ware was allowed to play through mistakes at Indiana.

Ware entered the NBA Draft after one season with the Hoosiers in which he averaged He averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.5 assists and shot 56.8%, including 42.5% from 3.

He will likely be a first-round pick next month.

“He was a top high school recruit. He was very athletic and could shoot,” said Connecticut guard Tristen Newton, who played against Ware when he was both at Oregon and Indiana. “That was his thing going into college and he displayed that (during Monday’s combine drills).”

That athleticism included one of the fastest 3/4 court runs as Ware, who measured 6-feet, 11 3/4 inches, blazed a trail in 3.29 seconds. Ware also had a 36-inch vertical.

Ware knows there are still concerns, though.

“The motor aspect of it, what everybody says about my motor,” Ware said. “I feel like I’ve proven that enough, but I still got more to prove.”

More: Indiana basketball’s Kel’el Ware isn’t sure he’s lock to go in first round of NBA draft

Otherwise, it’s easy to see why Ware is projected to go high in the draft.

He’s long (7-foot-4 1/2 wing span) and quick enough that he can guard on the perimeter. Ware can pick and pop, shoot and serve as a lob threat.

“My AAU coach he was telling me to bring the ball up the court sometimes,” Ware said. “I was never just a back to the basket player. I’ve always had the dribbling, shooting, I’ve always been able to do everything because I’ve always worked on it growing up.”

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.