Indiana’s Kel’el Ware is in the middle of the 2024 NBA Draft Combine this week in Chicago, a chance to boost his stock ahead of the June 26-27 draft.
Players demonstrated their skills through drills, measurements, athletic tests, medical exams, team interviews and five-on-five games in front of NBA team representatives. The NBA initially invited 78 players to participate in this year’s combine.
Here is Ware’s performance, according to NBA.com. Results for each category were not yet listed.
(the first number in parentheses is Ware’s overall ranking, the second is his ranking among centers)
Height (without shoes): 6’11.75″ (5th, 5th)
Weight: 230 pounds (14th, 12th)
Wingspan: 7’4.5″ (5th, 5th)
Standing reach: 9’4.5″ (3rd, 3rd)
Hand length: 9.5″ (t-3rd, t-3rd)
Hand width: 10.25″ (t-2nd, t-2nd)
Agility on track: 10.97 seconds (t-22nd, 2nd)
Shuttle run: 2.91 seconds (t-13, 2nd)
Three-quarter sprint: 3.29 seconds (60th, 9th)
Standing vertical jump: 32.5″ (t-6th, t-3rd)
Maximum vertical jump: 36.0 (t-30th, 6th)
Excluding dribbling left university break (shooting): 53.3% (t-50th, t-8th)
College in motion (shooting): 36.0% (t-63rd, t-11th)
Left collegiate corner (shooting): 44.0% (t-57th, t-10th)
Ware did not participate in Tuesday’s five-on-five scrimmages. This isn’t uncommon, though, as many of the top projected picks don’t go through this part of the combine.
In recent drafts, Ware is projected to be taken at 16th overall by Launderer’s Report And NBA.comNo. 17 by The ringNo. 27 by ESPNNo. 29 by CBS Sports and No. 33 by Athleticism.
“I’m definitely able to pick and pop, pick and roll, be that lob threat,” Ware told Andy Katz. “And I’m not slow, so I’m able to move my feet, defend the perimeter, defend guards. I did that throughout this pre-draft and most importantly I was able to compete and be the presence that I needed to be on the ground.”
Ware is coming off a stellar sophomore season at Indiana, where he earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and made the Big Ten All-Defensive team. Under coach Mike Woodson, Ware led the Hoosiers with 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. He was efficient inside and out, shooting 58.6 percent from the field and 42.5 percent on 40 3-point attempts.
“You see where I’m at now, so I feel like (Coach Woodson) did a good job.”
Kel’El Ware spoke with @TheAndyKatz At @NBADraft Combine. #B1GMBBall X @IndianaMBB pic.twitter.com/rfeDFbDJjs
– Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) May 14, 2024
The 7-footer has 15 double-doubles in 30 games and has blocked three or more shots in eight games. At Indiana, Ware more than doubled his average from his freshman year at Oregon, where he scored 6.6 points and grabbed 4.1 rebounds per game.
“It was a 10,” Ware said, reflecting on his time at Indiana. “After going to Bloomington, I really love Bloomington. They have a special place in my heart, so it was a 10.”
“Every day they pushed me to continue, to enter my comfort zone, to overcome my mistakes. That’s what the entire technical staff did, and they allowed me, as I said , to overcome my mistakes.”
Kel’el Ware Addresses His Life-Changing NBA Dreams After Success at Indiana
