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College basketball transfer portal: Best potential fits for Oregon five-star transfer Kel'el Ware – 247Sports
Former five-star prospect Kel’el Ware shook up the college basketball world Monday when he told 247Sports’ Travis Branham that he entered the transfer portal and will leave Oregon.
The 7-foot big man will not enter the 2023 NBA Draft and instead tries to parlay himself into the lottery conversation in the wide-open 2024 NBA Draft. Ware is the No. 1-ranked player in the transfer portal as of Monday, and he will demand a boatload of interest.
At Oregon, Ware played just 15.8 minutes a game but made efficient use of his time on the floor posting 16.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and 1.3 assists per 40-minutes. Ware is an outstanding talent boasting tremendous size, length and fluid athleticism to couple with tantalizing skill. Ware flashed his ability to guard all five positions, create his own bucket in the mid-and low-post on top of becoming a capable 3-point shooter
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Here are the potential schools that would make plenty of sense for Ware:
Gonzaga’s frontcourt picture is going to look very different next season without All-American Drew Timme wagging his mustache and leading the way. Technically, Timme could run it back for a fifth season, but he’s told anyone who would listen that his collegiate career is over. Gonzaga took a big swing on former five-star big man Efton Reid, but the LSU recruit played sparingly this season. If Ware wants to stay out west, Gonzaga would be an intriguing fit. Mark Few’s history with big men cannot be matched.
All-Pac 12 big men Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo could both return to Arizona next season, but the Wildcats have already been linked to Wyoming transfer big man Graham Ike. That could signal some potential reshuffling for Arizona’s frontcourt. If Tubelis or Ballo depart, Arizona would have the tape to show how it elevates big men to an All-League level. Arizona could keep its high-low attack thanks to Ware’s ability to step out and knock down a boatload of perimeter jumpers.
Arkansas is one of the most active teams in the transfer portal, so it would not surprise anyone if Eric Musselman and Co. made a run at Ware. Oh, and he’s a North Little Rock, Ark. native. Ware hooped with Arkansas star freshman Nick Smith Jr. in high school, so the connections with the Razorbacks are endless. Returning home to join an Arkansas team that is fresh off a third-straight second-weekend bid could make plenty of sense. Sophomore big man Trevon Brazile has a complicated stay-or-go decision, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a drool-inducing frontline than if Ware picked Arkansas and Brazile also ran it back.
Texas was firmly in the mix for Ware before he picked Oregon. With Christian Bishop exhausting his eligibility, Texas will very likely be on the prowl for a shot-blocking big man. Ware, obviously, fits the profile of a souped-up athlete who could play alongside Dylan Disu (if he chooses to return) and provide a terrifying lob threat. Texas is positioned to have one of the best backcourts in the country next season, so guard play would not be something Ware would have to be concerned about one bit.
Indiana has to fill Trayce Jackson-Davis’ monster shoes, and the Hoosiers have been very active in the big man transfer portal market. Indiana coach Mike Woodson is not afraid to play two big men at the same time, so pairing Ware and soon-to-be sophomore Malik Reneau would have its advantages. Xavier Johnson is trying to get a waiver to return next year, which would give Ware a proven, veteran point guard who can be a really good decision-maker in pick-and-rolls.
Colorado coach Tad Boyle coached the same Team USA U18 team that Ware played on last summer. Colorado big man Lawson Lovering already entered the transfer portal, so there’s a starting job at the 5 wide open for Ware to fill. Colorado is expected to be a player in the transfer portal this offseason, but retention will be a huge thing to watch, too. Keeping studs like KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva would improve Colorado’s sell for a dazzling talent like Ware. A Big Three of Simpson, da Silva and Ware would have Colorado back on the map in a hurry. Oh, and five-star wing Cody Williams is on the way to Boulder, too.
Replacing Colin Castleton is one of the biggest objectives of the offseason for Florida coach Todd Golden and the rest of the Gators staff. Florida was a major player for some of the top talent in the transfer portal last offseason, and Golden can sell Castleton’s success in his scheme. Ware’s path to a featured role and a huge usage rate is easy to project at Florida, but questions about if the Gators can win big in 2023-24 remain.
If fit and opportunity is a big priority for Ware, LSU certainly checks off a lot of boxes. KJ Williams is off to chase that green professional paper. The Murray State transfer put up huge numbers at LSU under Matt McMahon, totaling 17.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game with a 24.4% usage rate. McMahon’s history with Ja Morant is also enticing, but LSU has to rebuild its roster in a hurry after a frustrating 2-16 record in SEC play.
Acquiring talent has never been an issue for Juwan Howard, but fit would be a major question for Ware at Michigan if both All-Big Ten big man Hunter Dickinson and emerging soon-to-be sophomore Tarris Reed Jr. return to Ann Arbor next season. Ware would likely have to play some minutes at the 4 for Michigan, but the Wolverines have fed their big men religiously. Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard are in the mix to be first-round picks for Michigan, so it’s clear Howard and his staff are doing work on the player-development side.
Dereck Lively has not made his decision whether he will return to Duke for a second season, but all signs point toward the five-star center declaring for the NBA Draft. If that happens, Duke will be in the big man market. If Kyle Filipowski opts to leave for the NBA, Duke would have boatloads of minutes and high-volume opportunities at its disposal to offer a tantalizing talent like Ware. Duke got good news Monday when five-star Tyrese Proctor announced he would return for a second season. Duke is primed to have a talent-laden backcourt, and with the right dominoes, could have an elite fit to help Ware turn into a high-level NBA prospect in the wide-open 2024 NBA Draft.
Kansas made a run at Ware last year, and the Jayhawks are in the mix for a big man from the transfer portal. If all-world point guard Dajuan Harris could help K.J. Adams Jr. put up 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season, what could he do with a lob threat like Ware? Kansas seems out to improve its length around the rim, and Ware would instantaneously have the highest ceiling of anybody on the KU roster.
Travis Branham contributed to this report.
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