Indiana Sports 2023 Rewind: Men’s Basketball Best Newcomer

In our "Indiana Sports 2023 Rewind" series, we look back at the Hoosiers' most memorable moments of the calendar year. Indiana coach Mike Woodson added six new scholarship players to the 2023-24 roster. So far, Oregon transfer center Kel’el Ware has been the most impactful newcomer.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After losing six players who accounted for 75% of Indiana’s scoring last season, coach Mike Woodson had to get busy in the transfer portal.

He replaced starting bigs Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson, plus backup forwards Jordan Geronimo and Logan Duncomb, with a trio of front court transfers: Ke’el Ware from Oregon, Anthony Walker from Miami and Payton Sparks from Ball State.

And with Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jalen Hood-Schifino gone, as well as perimeter contributors Miller Kopp and Tamar Bates, Woodson recruited freshman guards Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton, plus 6-foot-8 wing Mackenzie Mgbako.

Out of the six new scholarship players on Indiana’s 2023-24 roster, one has stood above the rest through 12 games in 2023: Kel’el Ware. The 7-footer is averaging 14.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 55.1% from the field.

Ware transferred to Indiana after one season at Oregon, where he was criticized by coach Dana Altman for his lack of effort. The five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American planned to play just one season of college basketball before heading to the NBA as a surefire first-round pick, but his freshman year ended in underwhelming fashion, averaging 6.6 points and steadily losing minutes.

At Indiana, Ware saw an abundance of available minutes and the opportunity to play for a coach who helped develop Jackson-Davis into an All-American. And so far, he’s Indiana’s leading scorer and rebounder, and critiques of his effort can largely be cast aside. Woodson has pushed him to learn how to play hard, and Ware has embraced that message.

Ware has four double-doubles through 12 games as a Hoosiers, already four more than he had at Oregon. He’s also surpassed his previous career-high of 18 points three times and raised his field goal percentage by almost 10%.

Ware likely could have been playing in the NBA or G-League this year based on his potential alone. He moves more fluidly than most 7-footers, can score inside and out, and he has the wingspan to be an intimidating rim protector. He’s displayed all of that for the Hoosiers, making 6-of-6 3-point attempts (37.5%) and blocking 18 shots through 12 games. His time at Indiana has also come with a rise in NBA Draft stock from the summer, landing at No. 16 in Yahoo! Sports’ latest mock.

ANOTHA ONE for Kel'el Ware! 😮‍💨 @IndianaMBB pic.twitter.com/kpfFKKxXZJ

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) December 22, 2023

While Ware has indisputably been Indiana’s best newcomer this season, that’s not to say he doesn’t have flaws or has completely replaced Jackson-Davis. Against Indiana’s top three opponents, UConn, Auburn and Kansas, Ware shot just 7-for-30 from the field, or 23.3%. That increase in competition and physicality seemed to knock Ware off his game, showing he still has steps to take in becoming a complete player.

Ware has shown he can hang against physical Big Ten opponents, most notably scoring 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and grabbing 14 rebounds against a Maryland team that double-teamed him often. He also shot 60% in a gritty road win at Michigan, where he scored 13 points with 18 rebounds and made a game-winning defensive play guarding the inbounder.

If Indiana is going to make a third consecutive NCAA Tournament under Woodson, Ware will be a major reason why.