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

    Mike SchumannBy IU Basketball 12 Comments
    Photo credit - IU Athletics

    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.

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