Mike Woodson landed his Kel’el Ware replacement today via a commitment from Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo. Ballo was ranked the no. 1 portal prospect in the country by 247 sports.
Ballo is the latest elite big to commit to Woodson, who has now successfully recruited (or re-recruited) Trayce Jackson-Davis and Ware, both of whom developed into NBA prospects.
Ballo is a bit more of a known commodity than Ware was, having averaged more than 12 points per game in each of his last two seasons at Arizona. He’s started every game for Arizona over that span.
Having never attempted a 3-pointer in his career, Ballo is a paint player through and through. With his shot blocking and rebounding, his presence could allow Malik Reneau to stretch his game out towards the perimeter a bit more.
Regardless of how they are used, Ballo’s commitment likely means that Indiana will start the season with one of the strongest front courts in the conference, if not the country. Again.
In just three seasons, Woodson has quickly made Indiana the place to be for elite big men with professional aspirations.
