Indiana’s Kel’el Ware declares for 2024 draft

Indiana big man Kel’el Ware has decided to enter his name in the 2024 NBA Draft and will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility, he tells Jeff Goodman of Field of 68. Ware published an Instagram post thanking his teammates and the coaching staff at Indiana.

A 7’0″ center, Ware transferred from Oregon to Indiana after his freshman season and enjoyed a breakout year as a sophomore in 2023-24. In 30 games for the Hoosiers, he averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 32.2 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .586/.425/.634.

Once considered a potential top-10 prospect for the 2023 NBA draft, Ware struggled to make an impact during his first college season at Oregon and saw his stock drop over the course of the 2022-23 season. He decided against entering last year’s draft amid concerns about whether or not he would be drafted.

However, Ware’s draft stock has bounced back nicely this season — Goodman refers to the youngster as a “likely” first-round pick, and he’s at No. 26 on ESPN’s big board.