Former Oregon Center Kel'el Ware Tabbed Top Player Available in Transfer Portal

Ware was the No. 2 all-time recruit in Oregon program history but he's on his way out after just one season.

When Kel'el Ware committed to the Oregon Ducks there was a lot of excitement around his potential impact on the program. 

After all, he was a top-10 talent nationally in the 2022 class and he was the next five-star in line to be developed by head coach Dana Altman in Eugene.

He was a seven-footer that could defend the rim, throw down alley-oops and he even had the skill to pull up from deep from time to time. However, his debut season in Eugene wasn't what many had hoped for, and Altman even called him out his effort on multiple occasions throughout the year.

Kel'el Ware Oregon

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Kel'el Ware Oregon

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Kel'el Ware Oregon

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Following a season-ending loss to Wisconsin in the NIT quarterfinal, Ware decided his talents could be better utilized elsewhere and entered the transfer portal on March 27.

With the NCAA Tournament winding down in March, Ware and many other top players in college basketball have entered the transfer portal with hopes of finding a better landing spot. 

247Sports' Travis Branham thinks that Ware is the best of the bunch, ranking him as the top available player in the transfer portal this week.

Here's what Branham had to say about Ware, who averaged 6.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 34 games for the Ducks.

Kel'el Ware

is easily the most talented player in this bunch and despite having a rocky season for the Ducks, he is only a freshman with immense potential. He’s a seven-footer with great length and fluidity to couple with a tantalizing amount of skill.

He can switch on the perimeter, protect the rim at a high level and score in a variety of ways when his motor is kicked into full gear. Ware will be sought after by all the top programs in the country and could be one of the most impactful players in all of college basketball and play his way into the 2024 NBA Draft lottery.

You can read the full rankings story here.

The Ducks will return familiar names like Nathan Bittle and Jermaine Cousinard in 2023, but await a final decision on starting guard Keeshawn Barthelemy. He's weighing a professional or coming back to Eugene, where he'd be poised for a bigger role after Will Richardson's college career came to an end.

After two years of back-to-back NIT appearances, Dana Altman enters a crucial offseason that will put his Hall of Fame coaching resume to the test.

Read More

Oregon guard Endyia Rogers enters 2023 WNBA Draft

Five-star EDGE Colin Simmons will be in Eugene for Oregon's spring game

Oregon 2024 Recruiting Hot Board: EDGE