‘When you feel stronger, you feel nobody can stop you’: Kel’el Ware credits Clif Marshall with a large portion of his development with Indiana basketball

When Kel’el Ware first stepped foot on campus as an Indiana Hoosier prior to last season, there were plenty of questions surrounding him as a player. The former five-star recruit was described as having a poor motor and lacking toughness. For all the talent he possessed, the work ethic and mindset seemed to have held him back in his freshman season with Oregon.

From the moment Ware joined Indiana basketball, he was dead set on changing the narrative surrounding him.

“Getting stronger was one of the main things that I came into my sophomore year wanting to do,” Ware said. “Just getting in every day with Coach Clif [Marshall] and talking to him about everything that I need to do.”

Ware credits Marshall with helping his development while at Indiana.

Related: 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

After averaging 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game with Oregon, Ware improved his numbers significantly in his sophomore year. With Indiana basketball, he averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.

That improvement has slotted him as a likely first-round draft pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

“He found the right workouts that I need to do. When you feel stronger, you can play stronger. You feel more dominant on the court,” Ware said. “When you’re stronger, you feel nobody can stop you. That’s why I kept coming in every day because I was able to see the process.”

Ware committed himself to the process and the results paid off on the floor. One of the clear differences between Ware’s freshman and sophomore years is his physique.

At Oregon, the 7-foot center was listed at 210 pounds. At the NBA Draft Combine, Ware weighed in at 230 pounds, a notable difference from a year ago.

Ware’s physical development stemmed from his willingness to put the work in. With Clif Marshall and the rest of the staff, Ware consistently put the work in to improve and disprove the preconceived notions about his work ethic and motor.

“I feel like Coach Woodson and his staff have prepared me a lot, especially in practice. Pushing me to go harder and not letting me slack off,” Ware said. “Being pushed outside my comfort zone definitely helped me out. Every day in practice I was being pushed to go past the limit.”

Woodson and his staff have shown the ability to develop and prepare their guys for the next level. Ware will likely wind up being the third Hoosier drafted since Woodson took over the program.

Woodson’s development of Ware and other bigs has made Indiana basketball such an intriguing place to play for bigs trying to get to the next level. That success can be seen with the commitment of Oumar Ballo, the top big in the transfer portal.

Both on and off the court, the Indiana basketball coaching staff has focused on pushing players to reach their ceilings and the case of Kel’el Ware is no different. With all the talent he possessed, Ware needed to be pushed and he got exactly that at Indiana. 

“If there was a wall in front of me, Coach Walsh always told me, ‘just go right through it‘,” Ware said. 

While his time with Indiana basketball was short-lived, Coach Marshall and the rest of the coaching staff made a lasting impact on Ware and his development as a player.

SEE ALSO: Mike Woodson knew Indiana basketball had to ‘get better’. His transfer class echoed that and ‘boosted their stock’ this spring

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