As Kel’el Ware takes the next step in his journey with the NBA Draft this week, he’s not ready to just check a box — ‘Still more to prove’

Kel’el Ware came into his sophomore season at Indiana with more doubters than supporters. Doubters about his effort. About his motor — almost all of the small details that made him go from a projected lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to off the radar of all NBA teams. Now in just a few days, he’ll be able to silence those doubters as he gears up to hear his name called in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Ware was a top-10 prospect in the class of 2022 and a projected top-10 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. But his freshman season at Oregon was less than what was hoped. As a freshman, Ware averaged 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He played in 35 games with four starts in 15.8 minutes a game.

Following a successful season at Indiana that earned him Second-Team All-Big Ten honors, Kel’el Ware is now slotted anywhere from late lottery to late first round. There is still a great deal of raw talent with him but his one season with Mike Woodson and the Indiana basketball program definitely rejuvenated him and revitalized his NBA potential. That’s clear.

How did he get there? A lot of hard work and attention to detail. Both coincided with him getting back to working on his energy and motor and doing so consistently.

“Well, it’s the second effort. When we first got him, that didn’t even exist in terms of him making second and third efforts to try to go get the basketball,” Woodson said of Ware’s development. “A lot of it was he just hadn’t been taught and pushed to do it. I mean, it’s like night and day from the time we got him to where he is today in terms of going hard and understanding that you just can’t take possessions off.”

Related: 5 best fits for Kel’el Ware in 2024 NBA Draft

That effort resonated with NBA scouts and his consistency throughout the entire season for Indiana was noticed.

“He figured out how to be on the court and stay consistent, not just with the flashy plays but doing all the little things to help the team win,” An NBA scout told HoosierIllustrated.com. “Like rolling hard every time even if you don’t get the ball but creates some room for somebody else. He did a nice job protecting the rim this year, did a good job rebounding. Some of the not so flashy things. Like at Oregon he may hit a three or block a shot and then get taken out and leave people wondering why.

“I thought he did a nice job playing the game and doing the right things more often.”

Mike Woodson and Kel’el Ware made each other a promise and it paid off

At Indiana, he averaged 32.7 minutes a game in Big Ten games and played 30+ minutes in 15 of the 18 conference games he appeared in — he saw 10 or less minutes in a game in 10 of his 19 league games at Oregon.

His averages were 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game this season. In Big Ten play alone, Kel’el Ware averaged 16.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. He led the league in field goal percent at 63.2 percent shooting from the floor.

His production wasn’t a surprise to himself, or anyone that knew and studied Ware for his career up to that point. It was also no surprise that he and Mike Woodson were a perfect fit for each other.

“In April of last year Coach Woodson and I sat in his office and he told me he was going to help me get to the next level, and if there is one thing we know about Woody, is that he is true to his word,” Ware told 247Sports National Analyst Travis Branham this spring. “I owe a lot to Coach Woodson and the entire coaching staff, Coach Yasir, Coach Kenya and Coach Brian.”

“I think he did (changed the narrative),” said the NBA scout. “He had a really nice season and answered a lot of questions coming from his Oregon days.”

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana gave Kel’el Ware the opportunity to revitalize his young career but Mike Woodson’s promise wouldn’t have come to fruition if it weren’t also for the hard work and dedication from Ware. That alone should show the love and passion for the game that people have long doubted.

“I’m not always the easiest coach to play for, but I’m in your corner and I’m fair and I want what’s best for you and my ballclub,” Woodson said. “He made the commitment to me, and I’m going to push him to play at a higher level to help us win basketball games.”

So as Wednesday arrives, the next step in Ware’s long journey will as well. However, he’s not ready to just ‘check a box’ — he still wants to show the doubters, supporters and himself that there is way more left with his story.

“(There’s) still more to prove,” Ware said at the end of IU’s season. “So I don’t feel like I’ve proven myself just yet.”

The 2024 NBA Draft will take place June 26-27.

SEE ALSO: Kel’el Ware went back to basics at IU — doing ‘the little things’ & ‘the right things’ unlocking his potential. Up next is the NBA, looking to prove himself even more

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