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.
The moment that an NBA dream was realized 🥹@KelelWare // @MiamiHEAT pic.twitter.com/LTkEud4Ppj
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) June 27, 2024
Kel’el Ware is selected 15th overall by the @MiamiHEAT in the 2024 #NBADraft presented by State Farm!
Watch on ABC & ESPN. pic.twitter.com/och3hnAtGt
— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2024
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”
- Find us on Facebook: thedailyhoosier
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
