(C) Kel 'el Ware - COMMITTED TO INDIANA

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

1 hour ago, btownqb said:

Did you ever watch JJ play? Have you seen the film of Ware? 

They seem absolutely nothing alike in play style. "with forward skills"--- Jeffries had guard skills. Maybe that's where the confusion is. Ware isn't initiating the offense. 

Yes I watched Jeffries play. The ability to bring the ball up the floor is pretty common nowadays. That's isn't some unicorn deal.

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

56 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

And IMO George Leach is not a comp either. Leach was a true post. Same-ish body size, but likely a very different skill set. 

I can't think of an IU comp for what Ware could bring if he hits some version of expectations. In fact I am having trouble thinking of a shot blocking seven footer in college whose offensive game was threes and rim running.

Maybe Jalen "Sticks" Smith from Maryland a few years back. He was a few inches shorter and played with a high motor, but had some volume from three and was a long shot blocker on defense. BTW, I would be thrilled if Ware approximated the production of Sticks Smith.

Newton is probably closest to him. At least that we've seen at IU.

[CSP]

15 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Yes I watched Jeffries play. The ability to bring the ball up the floor is pretty common nowadays. That's isn't some unicorn deal.

Right. And Ware doesn't and won't. 

Malik might. 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

Just now, btownqb said:

Right. And Ware doesn't and won't. 

Malik might. 

 We have literally no clue yet what Ware will and won't do. Woody was able to develop TJD from never being able to bring the ball up, into the best point-center in the nation.

[CSP]

13 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

 We have literally no clue yet what Ware will and won't do. Woody was able to develop TJD from never being able to bring the ball up, into the best point-center in the nation.

You can watch his tape to see his capabilities/limits. And yes, Woodson was great in TJD's development. 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

32 minutes ago, btownqb said:

You can watch his tape to see his capabilities/limits. And yes, Woodson was great in TJD's development. 

Right. And Ware is coming in with more ball handling skills than TJD had. Ware won't need to bring the ball up with Johnson, Galloway and Mgbako on the floor, but there's no doubt he's capable. It's just how guys are nowadays.

[HoosierHoopster]

1 hour ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Newton is probably closest to him. At least that we've seen at IU.

I don't see the Newton comparison - and loved Newton's play at IU. Side note, he went on to dominate and became a legend in Japan

[CSP]

33 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Right. And Ware is coming in with more ball handling skills than TJD had. Ware won't need to bring the ball up with Johnson, Galloway and Mgbako on the floor, but there's no doubt he's capable. It's just how guys are nowadays.

I don't really see him as capable, but that's fine. He might be a Dickinson as a center, skills-wise, at best? shot fake and drive type...point forward he is not. 

But.. we could screen and roll/pop with JJ as the ball handler, Ware doesn't have that, which is fine. 

Ware does have the capability of sitting in a corner when others are running offense to stretch the defense. I like that a lot. We should be much more diverse offensively this year and not just 2 horses to carry the grunt of the work. 

And this whole opinion is just based on what he's shown so far.... 2 years from now I hope Ware's game has evolved! 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

36 minutes ago, btownqb said:

I don't really see him as capable, but that's fine. He might be a Dickinson as a center, skills-wise, at best? shot fake and drive type...point forward he is not. 

But.. we could screen and roll/pop with JJ as the ball handler, Ware doesn't have that, which is fine. 

Ware does have the capability of sitting in a corner when others are running offense to stretch the defense. I like that a lot. We should be much more diverse offensively this year and not just 2 horses to carry the grunt of the work. 

And this whole opinion is just based on what he's shown so far.... 2 years from now I hope Ware's game has evolved! 

Ware won't be in Bloomington in two years. He likely won't be next year. But I don't remember Jeffries ever being a "point forward." Just being a college center with some wing skills for the era. He still work within 15 feet a lot. He did take 2 threes a game his sophomore year though. I assume Ware will be in the 2-3 area per game this year. I don't think he will be Jeffries, but he without a doubt has the same skillset, because like I said, all 99% of elite recruits have the skillset Jeffries had. Just how basketball is nowadays. In fact, Ware probably has better handles than Jeffries had just because of the perimeter focus in today's game, he just doesn't have to use it.

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

1 hour ago, HoosierHoopster said:

I don't see the Newton comparison - and loved Newton's play at IU. Side note, he went on to dominate and became a legend in Japan

Newton was a big man that never really put the ball on the floor, could protect the rim and step out and shoot.

[Stuhoo]

22 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Newton was a big man that never really put the ball on the floor, could protect the rim and step out and shoot.

I can see that. Newton was also inconsistent and really talented, though Ware is three inches taller.

Let's hope that Ware smokes less weed at IU than Newton did (because that's a lot a lot a lot of weed).

[WayneFleekHoosier]

Just now, Stuhoo said:

I can see that. Newton was also inconsistent and really talented, though Ware is three inches taller.

Let's hope that Ware smokes less weed at IU than Newton did (because that's a lot a lot a lot of weed).

Newton was underrated.  That elbow jumper was pretty consistent. 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

26 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Newton was underrated.  That elbow jumper was pretty consistent. 

He loved joints of all kinds.

[BtownStrength]

27 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Newton was underrated.  That elbow jumper was pretty consistent. 

Favorite moment..the 2 HUGE rebounds in the final minute of IU-Duke sweet 16 2002. Last one off the Boozer putback miss. 

[CSP]

1 hour ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Ware won't be in Bloomington in two years. He likely won't be next year. But I don't remember Jeffries ever being a "point forward." Just being a college center with some wing skills for the era. He still work within 15 feet a lot. He did take 2 threes a game his sophomore year though. I assume Ware will be in the 2-3 area per game this year. I don't think he will be Jeffries, but he without a doubt has the same skillset, because like I said, all 99% of elite recruits have the skillset Jeffries had. Just how basketball is nowadays. In fact, Ware probably has better handles than Jeffries had just because of the perimeter focus in today's game, he just doesn't have to use it.

Then you're remembering wrong. 

The 3s are irrelevant, games played completely different than it was in 02. But again, no he doesn't have the same skill set. or anything really close. 

JJs whole game was predicated on taking you to the hoop and he could distribute, literally, he put the defense into rotation and we'd get $$ shots off of that initial push.

That ain't Ware. 

[CSP]

1 hour ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Newton was a big man that never really put the ball on the floor, could protect the rim and step out and shoot.

That is all Ware has right now. It's just hard to compare them because Newton wasn't some pnr/pnp guy that Ware will be. 

[J34]

LaMarcus Aldidge maybe

[CSP]

2 minutes ago, J34 said:

LaMarcus Aldidge maybe

Ohhhh that's a good one. I think at this point in their careers KW might be a little better rim protector than LA, but obviously, LA was significantly more advanced in other areas. 

[J34]

6 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Ohhhh that's a good one. I think at this point in their careers KW might be a little better rim protector than LA, but obviously, LA was significantly more advanced in other areas. 

Agree 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

41 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Then you're remembering wrong. 

The 3s are irrelevant, games played completely different than it was in 02. But again, no he doesn't have the same skill set. or anything really close. 

JJs whole game was predicated on taking you to the hoop and he could distribute, literally, he put the defense into rotation and we'd get $$ shots off of that initial push.

That ain't Ware. 

Just because someone doesn't use a skillset, doesn't mean they don't have it. Again, all elite recruits have these skills now.