Lance Ware is not UK's class headliner thanks to the impossibly lofty standards of Calipari-era recruiting at Kentucky.
But he would be at most other schools and there are good reasons for Kentucky fans to be cautiously optimistic about what could lie in store for the five-star big man.
Cats Illustrated basketball recruiting writers David Sisk and Travis Graf opine on the topic of what Ware can bring to the Wildcats.
David Sisk: I recently spoke with Ware's high school coach, Rick Brunson. As a former star at Temple, and a longtime player and coach, I am going to trust his opinion which I felt was very realistic.
He sees Ware as a player who can come in and play a specific role as a defender who can guard all five spots and still protect the rim. He will also be able to produce in the open floor.
Brunson ses him as a Willie Cauley-Stein type. He is a full 6-9 now, and he will grow into more of a steady player on the offensive end.
Here is what I like. He doesn't have to take over from the offensive standpoint with next year's roster. He is not a one-and-done player. I think both he and Isaiah Jackson take the pressure off John Calipari to recruit posts in the 2020-21 season. I see him improving every season and having a solid career at Kentucky.
Travis Graf: Lance Ware is a tough, gritty low post player who isn’t afraid to mix things up in the paint. He’s expanding his game and becoming a better jump shooter, but his bread and butter lies in getting physical buckets in the paint.
He’s not a high flyer, but he knows angles well and how to use his lower body to carve out space. Ware physically dominated Evan Mobley, the top-ranked big man in the 2020 class, at the Hoophall Classic.
There’s zero issues with Ware’s motor, and he’s guaranteed to grab you a few rebounds every time he’s on the floor. You won’t see a lot of sets run for Ware in year one, but he’ll thrive off of garbage buckets and weak side baskets when he’s in the game. Ware will be a three or four year player and he’ll play 10-15 minutes as a freshman, a year in which he’ll be mostly be called upon to rebound consistently more than anything else.
