One way or another, it was expected that the Oregon Ducks were going to end up losing former 5-star center Kel’el Ware this offseason, be it to the 2023 NBA Draft or via the transfer portal.
On Monday morning, per a report from 247Sports, Ware made it official, announcing that he would enter the transfer portal and leave the Ducks after one season.
Ware, the former No. 7 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, was initially believed to be a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but after a freshman season in Eugene were he did not see the production that was expected, he will decided to stick it out for one more season in college at least before making the leap.
“I am incredibly thankful for my freshman season at Oregon,” said Ware, via 247Sports. “Sincere thanks to Coach Altman and the entire coaching staff for believing in me and helping me grow, both as a player and person. I will take the lessons that I have learned on and off the court this season into this next chapter. And to Ducks Nation and most importantly, my teammates: thank you for embracing me into the Oregon family.”
Ware played just 15.8 minutes a game, averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
After coming to college as such a highly-rated prospect, Ware will undoubtedly be a highly-coveted name in the portal this offseason.
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