"The pace of the game, the physicality of the game, but I like Kel'el's shot-blocking ability, he can shoot the 3 and he runs good." "Another big body, shot blocker, and we know with the big guys it always takes a little longer," Altman said. Ware will give the Ducks their third 7-footer as he'll join current freshmen Nate Bittle, who was a five-star recruit in 2021, and Isaac Johnson on the roster. He led North Little Rock (Arkansas) to a state championship last season, averaging 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 blocks. He's also rated as a five-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. 20 overall by 247Sports and is the sixth-ranked center in the 2022 class.
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Altman said he also doesn't expect starting point guard Will Richardson to take advantage of his free COVID-19 season with a potential pro career available for the senior. Johnson will fill a void for Oregon, which will lose starting senior Jacob Young next year. But he's got a rocket and he can really move up and down the floor."įor local stories that matter, subscribe today. "But that's the game, that's where we're at, and if he has a great year, I hope he does. "Dior Johnson's really quick, really can push the ball, and I think he's someone who's probably only going to be with us for a year because he's got aspirations of moving on pretty quickly," Altman said. When he announced his commitment to the Ducks in June, it was reported that he turned down a $1.2 million offer to play professionally in the New Zealand Basketball League. He averaged 23.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game last year for Mayfair High School in Lakewood, Calif. 13 player overall in the class of 2022, by 247Sports, and is listed as a five-star player by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. More: Oregon moves to 2-0 with rout of SMU