Prospect Profile
A major play finisher and huge lob threat, Ware is one of the best vertical spacers in this class. He’s a fluid center that runs the floor well, boasting his mobility.
Ware has a thin frame that sometimes struggles against physicality, but that should improve as he gets stronger moving forward. He’s got extremely long arms and is still fairly raw, but has great tools.
He isn’t necessarily the type of center you run an offense through, but the 7-footer is extremely versatile. He does a lot of the little things that impact winning. It will be interesting to see Ware at the college level as it relates to his assertiveness. To this point, he has not been able to dominate a game offensively and sometimes goes long stretches without impacting that side of the ball.
While Ware isn’t a great 3-point shooter at this point, he’s at least willing to try and space the floor. His mechanics aren’t bad, but his release is slow and he doesn’t get much elevation on the jumper. Simply put, he looks like most centers when they attempt perimeter shots.
One thing to watch will be whether or not he gets the green light to shoot from deep at the college level and his overall improvement from that range.
It’s worth noting, Ware is a great free throw shooter which can often indicate future 3-point success.
Closer to the rim, the Oregon freshman actually has a good shooting touch. He’s got a high release point to go along with incredible standing reach that ensures his shot isn’t blocked or altered. He’s got good hands and has no problem sealing off defenders to get the ball in a place to generate shots he wants.
Ware is a good offensive rebounder and a decent passer for his size. He’s also shown flashes of being able to handle the ball well for a 7-footer at times.
Where he’s really impactful is defensively, where he’s disruptive with his active hands. He’s great at clogging passing lanes and blocks a ton of shots. As a rim protector, the upside is extremely high with Ware. He’s also solid as a pick-and-role defender and isn’t a liability when switched onto a guard on the perimeter.
How effective can Ware be at the college level and beyond against players of his own size or bigger? That will be something to keep an eye on as a freshman.
Ware was school teammates with Nick Smith Jr. at North Little Rock, where that dominant duo had a ton of success. He recently played at the U18 Americas Championship and got the chance to showcase some things he didn’t have at the high school level.
At minimum, Ware should be a solid rim running big and paint protector moving forward.