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Former IU basketball center Kel’el Ware among draft’s biggest steals coming out of summer

Kel’el Ware heads back to Miami after a successful summer as numerous NBA scouts & execs have high praise the former IU basketball forward.

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IU basketball, Kel'el Ware
Kel'el Ware heads back to Miami after a successful summer as numerous NBA scouts & execs have high praise the former IU basketball forward.

Kel’el Ware was one of the most criticized picks in June’s NBA Draft after the Miami Heat took the former IU basketball center with the 15th overall pick. After a disappointing freshman season at Oregon, Ware turned around his draft stock with a fantastic season in Bloomington with Indiana. But, concerns still remained about his ‘motor’.

All of that seems to be in the rearview mirror after a terrific summer for Ware.

ESPN insiders Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony interviewed numerous NBA scouts and executives following the end of summer league action and one question asked was who from the recent draft class will turn out to be the biggest steal.

Bub Carrington received the most votes, but it was Kel’el Ware in second.

“It’s undeniable what Ware can do skill-wise,” one voter said. “Based on summer league and what he might become, he has to be considered one of the better picks.”

Ware averaged 18.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game and was named to the All-Summer League First Team. He had four 20-point games, including 21 points and 10 rebounds in the Championship game as the Heat came away as the summer league champs.

“Kel’el is the prototypical big man in today’s NBA,” IU basketball head coach Mike Woodsons said. “He can block shots at the rim, hold up defensively in the pick-and-roll, and is a great lob threat on the other end of the floor. He impressed me with his ability to catch and shoot the basketball at a high level and that is what the next level is looking for. He is a quiet kid that goes about his business in a professional way. He handled the adversity thrown his way to start his college career and responded in a big way for our ball club this season.”

Ware will now pair up with Bam Adebeyo in the Heat front court and could turn into one of the more formidable front court combos in terms of their versatility and skillset in the eastern conference.

“Each game I want to go in and prove more and more,” Ware said in the middle of Summer League play. “So I feel like I am doing that.”

SEE ALSO: Fresh off of NBA Summer League Championship, Kel’el Ware brining ‘confidence’ back to Miami

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Alec Lasley is the owner of Hoosier Illustrated, a comprehensive site covering news, updates and recruiting for Indiana University athletics. Alec has covered Indiana for six years and is a credentialed media member. He has previously worked for both Rivals and 247Sports.

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