Is Indiana basketball center Kel’el Ware a NBA Lottery pick?: ‘High-risk, high-reward prospects like Ware have a wide range of outcomes.’

Last week, Indiana basketball center Kel’el Ware made it official that he is entering his name into this year’s NBA Draft and will forgo his remaining two years of college eligibility. While Hoosier Nation only got to see one year of the talented big man, Ware’s decision to enter the draft was not all that of a surprise to most people.

Ware averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game in 30 appearances for Indiana basketball this season. He started every game he appeared in and was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection. He was also on the All-Defensive Big Ten team.

After playing his freshman year at Oregon and falling off the draft boards due to a poor season, Ware opted to transfer to Indiana basketball in hopes that Mike Woodson would be able to turn the 7-foot center back into a first round pick.

Mike Woodson did just that and all it took was one season to do so.

“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. “I owe a lot to Coach Woodson and the entire coaching staff, Coach Yasir, Coach Kenya and Coach Brian.”

Ware is almost certain at this point to be taken in the first round of the NBA Draft at the very least. With his size and skillset, there is an unlimited amount of potential with Ware as pro prospect.

The real question comes down to, did Ware do enough to open the eyes of NBA scouts and be taken as a lottery selection?

‘Scouts are still wary because of his history, though,” said 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein. “This is a prospect who has a pattern of underachieving relative to his talent, who has publicly acknowledged there were times when he wasn’t sure he loved basketball and has shown questionable body language and motor over the years. So, ultimately, this comes down to whether front offices believe that what they saw this year was an indication that he’s turning the corner or not.”

When looking back at this past season with Ware at Indiana, the big man is almost night-and-day of the player that he was at Oregon. Throughout the season, Ware was the most consistent and best player for Indiana basketball. He had 10 games with at least 20 points and five with at least 25 points.

The motor for Ware is so much better than it was at Oregon, but it is understandable that NBA Scouts have to see that when he is not playing under Mike Woodson. The Indiana basketball head coach can be a demanding coach to play for so scout will need to see what Ware can do outside the realms of Indiana basketball.

He is a high-risk, high-reward prospect if there ever was one.

“It’s also a cost-benefit analysis. Front offices acknowledge that there is a range of possible outcomes for every prospect,” Finklestein continued. In Ware’s case, that range is far wider than most. This makes him a “high-risk, high-reward” proposition.”

“The bottom line is this: High-risk, high-reward prospects like Ware have a wide range of outcomes. Is it possible there’s a franchise who thinks he’s worth the risk in the final spots in the lottery? It’s not out of the question. But, it’s also not out of the question that he slips out of the first-round all together.”

Will Ware slip out of the first-round? That would be hard to see happen but then again, Trayce Jackson-Davis went nearly undrafted and we saw how that turned out.

Ware is one of the more intriguing prospects in this year’s NBA Draft. The combine, in front of all the NBA Scouts, will be very important. If he dominates, there will be teams willing to take Ware in picks 1-14.

The NBA Combine will take place from May 12 to May 19 and will likely include Kel’el Ware.

The NBA Draft is on June 27.