re: 2022-23 Basketball MegaThread

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cleared for practice in ~2 weeks

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Trying to remember how much notice we had when he came back the first time.

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Dana Altman has been candid this season when discussing the struggles of Oregon’s 5-star freshman, Kel’el Ware.

This week, Ducks’ head coach delivered the clearest indicator yet that things aren’t exactly clicking for his blue-chip center during his first season with the program.

While meeting with reporters on Tuesday, Altman was asked about Ware’s effort and lack of consistent production through the first 20 games of the season. During Oregon’s loss at Stanford last Saturday, Ware played a season-low six minutes and did not take a shot.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations,” Altman said. “They haven’t gone as well and haven’t been as constructive as we want them to be. I was disappointed in his effort. I let him know that. He’s gonna have to make some adjustments or I’ve got to make some decisions. His time has been reduced. That doesn’t help us, because he is talented.”

This isn’t the first time this season that Altman has publicly criticized Ware’s effort.

Following Oregon’s home win over Oregon State on Dec. 31, Altman paid a backhanded compliment to the freshman, noting that Ware had played with energy in that game and “at least acted like he wanted to be here tonight.”

Since that moment, though, Ware has not played more than 15 minutes in a single game.

“He hasn’t blocked any shots lately. He hasn’t gotten any hands on balls,” Altman said. “He’s not using that length. We’ve still got to try to put the best team out there that gives us the best chance.

“If he’s playing hard, that helps us. But if he’s not, that hurts us.”

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