Kel’el Ware’s breakout as a sophomore at Indiana was a brilliant spot in a season of in any other case underwhelming outcomes.
The 7-footer from North Little Rock, Arkansas, was a prized piece within the spring 2023 switch portal cycle. Nonetheless, after a disappointing freshman season at Oregon, there was uncertainty about what Ware might produce on the Massive Ten degree.
Ware answered any doubts resoundingly. In 30 video games for the Hoosiers, Ware averaged 15.9 factors, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks and earned All-Massive Ten second-team honors.
The Miami Warmth chosen him because the No. 15 decide in June’s NBA draft and he was a standout within the NBA Summer season League. This was a transparent win for Ware and Indiana from a improvement perspective.
However Ware’s ascent left Indiana with a major offseason gap to fill in its frontcourt. Just like the Indiana workers did when it landed Ware within the spring of 2023, it aimed excessive this previous spring.
Mali native Oumar Ballo, who started his profession at Gonzaga earlier than blossoming at Arizona, entered the switch portal on Monday, April 8.
Simply eight days later, Ballo dedicated to Indiana.
Whereas there are truthful questions concerning the match of Ballo subsequent to Malik Reneau, there’s no query Indiana landed probably the most dominant frontcourt gamers within the nation.
The 7-foot, 260-pound heart was among the many nation’s greatest facilities within the final two seasons. In Arizona’s 2022-23 season, Ballo averaged 14.2 factors and eight.6 rebounds whereas taking pictures 64.7 p.c from the sphere.
Final season, he averaged a double-double – 12.9 factors and 10.1 rebounds – and shot an much more environment friendly 65.8 p.c. Ballo had 20 double-doubles final season. He was an All-Pac-12 first-team choice the earlier two seasons.
Mike Woodson and the Indiana workers have had dominant large males within the lineup the final three seasons in Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kel’el Ware. The pattern will proceed this winter in Bloomington when Ballo is paired with Reneau.
So how does Ballo’s arrival form Indiana’s outlook as Woodson makes an attempt to information the Hoosiers again to the NCAA match?
Ballo’s rebounding ought to assist the Hoosiers tremendously on each ends. Ware was a serious asset on the glass a season in the past, ending the season with an offensive rebounding proportion of 8 and a defensive rebounding proportion of 26.1, which was thirtieth greatest within the nation.
Ballo’s rebounding numbers have been much more spectacular. His defensive rebounding proportion was much like Ware’s — 26.9 — however he was on one other degree on the offensive boards. Ballo completed the season with the nation’s Fifteenth-best offensive rebounding proportion, at 15.2.
For an Indiana program that completed simply 254th nationally in offensive rebounding proportion as a staff and 211th in defensive rebounding, Ballo will assist these numbers.
Offensively, Ballo isn’t dynamic like Jackson-Davis or Ware, two surefire NBA gamers. His effectivity numbers total have been strong – he shot 65.8 p.c final season on 2s. He drew a ton of fouls – 5.8 per 40 minutes, in line with KenPom – however solely transformed at a 49.5 p.c clip from the stripe. In keeping with Synergy Sports activities, his factors per possession on post-ups final season (.972) have been much less environment friendly than Ware’s (1.068).
The important thing to maximizing Ballo’s effectiveness shall be how Indiana makes use of him. He’s best when pinning his man deep within the put up. In keeping with Synergy, Ballo scored 1.33 factors per possession on put up pins in comparison with .819 factors per possession when going to his left shoulder or .973 factors per possession going to his proper shoulder.
Reneau’s passing additionally advantages Ballo. Final season, Reneau developed robust chemistry with Ware, typically discovering him for favorable seems within the paint or throwing him lobs. Indiana hopes Reneau and Ballo can create comparable chemistry by enjoying off one another, with Reneau as the first post-up choice and Ballo in search of lobs or putbacks from missed pictures.
“He does lots of good issues,” Woodson mentioned of Ballo at Huber’s Vineyard in late Might. “He doesn’t must have the ball lots like I featured Trayce (Jackson-Davis) when he was right here. He doesn’t must have it lots, however I’m going to make the most of him. It’d be loopy to not.”
After spending his first 4 seasons at Gonzaga and Arizona, Ballo arrives at Indiana anticipating to win. Over his profession, the groups Ballo has performed on have compiled a 119-21 report.
As a freshman, he was a part of a Gonzaga staff that superior to the nationwide championship sport. He additionally reached the Candy Sixteen twice at Arizona and gained two Pac-12 regular-season titles and two convention match titles.
“He’s gained. He’s been in a successful environment at Arizona and he’s produced,” Woodson mentioned. “He’s had some good years. He’s an older man that’s severe about successful. That was the entire thing that attracted me to him. And that’s why he’s sporting an Indiana uniform, man, as a result of I feel he may help us along with his management, get to the place I wish to go and that’s successful a Massive Ten title and a nationwide title.”
Filed to: Oumar Ballo
