North Little Rock big man Kel'el Ware finally letting game do the talking

By Nate Olson | Photos by Tommy Land

North Little Rock senior center Kel’el Ware isn’t vocal. It isn’t his thing. Media interviews and the limelight? He’s fine with letting NLR teammate and fellow McDonald’s All-American Nick Smith Jr. have all that.

North Little Rock head coach Johnny Rice is fine with his big man’s silence, he just wanted him to listen better. For three years, Rice has tried to convince Ware that with the right work ethic, he could be one of the best players in the country. 

“About a year ago before the state tournament I sat him down and said, ‘Lel, if you play with a motor, you could make life-changing money for you and your family.’ He said, ‘What do you mean life-changing?” I said, ‘You will make money that changes your life but your mom and dad’s and brothers’ and sisters'. That is what you can do if you really want it.’”

Ware got that message and proceeded to lead the Charging Wildcats to the 2021 Class 6A state championship en route to tournament MVP honors. His 16.3 points, 8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game in 2021 attracted numerous college scouts. He signed with Oregon after also considering Baylor and Texas.

“I think his motor has gotten better every year, and I think his success at the end of last year, us winning and him being the tournament MVP, I think he realized, ‘Hey, I can be different,’” Rice said. “You could see the confidence level in him take off. That carried over into the summer.”

As North Little Rock (25-3), which is No. 13 in the SBLive/SI Power 25 National Boys Basketball Rankings, prepares to begin its title defense Friday, Ware has been even more dominant this season while playing a rigorous nonconference schedule filled with high-profile national programs.

He has averaged an impressive 20.3 points, 12 rebounds and 5.7 blocks per game. He’s also considered now by many scouts as one of the top big men in the country. In ESPN’s latest evaluations, the five-star is ranked as the No. 4 center in the country and No. 16 player overall. 

“I feel like with how much work I’ve put in over the summer, I’ve gotten better,” Ware said.

It only takes a few minutes and a series of one-word answers to discover that Ware isn’t vocal. He’s polite and mild-mannered, but he doesn’t like to or want to talk.

“I am just kind of a chill guy, I’m not just real energetic,” he said. “I just sit back and listen and be careful about what’s going on around me.”

Ware’s reserved demeanor reminds Rice of KeVaughn Allen, the former Charging Wildcats star guard who was the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year twice and won a state championship before going to the University of Florida. 

“I told [Ware] before the season that we were going to these high-profile tournaments and that he was going to have microphones shoved in his face,” Rice said. “He is similar to KeVaughn Allen in that respect. KeVaughn was even quieter than [Ware]. He worked at it and got better.”

But Allen’s energy on the court wasn’t in question. While Ware’s effort has increased since he was moved up to the varsity squad at the end of his freshman season, the word ‘motor’, or lack thereof, still gets brought up often from coaches and scouts.

“It can get frustrating when you don’t think he is maybe going full speed as hard as he can … Sometimes he gives the impression he isn’t going as hard as he can, but he is listening, he’s just not getting excited, so you don’t know if it is registering,” Rice said.

This season is proof it has registered. In December, he scored nearly 30 points in a decisive 82-68 win at Richardson (Texas), one of the top programs in Texas. He followed with 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in a 63-62 win against Dr. Philips (Orlando, Fla.) in the City of Palms Tournament in Fort Lauderdale. The Charging Wildcats lost to prestigious IMG Academy in Florida, but Ware still turned heads in that game.

“You take the first quarter away against IMG, and he dominated,” Rice said. “I think that tournament really put him on the map.”

Ware finished December by helping NLR run through the King Cotton Classic in nearby Pine Bluff, which attracted a stacked field, including Beaumont (Texas) United. The Charging Wildcats beat Beaumont 82-72 to win the King Bracket. Ware scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds against Beaumont, which has lost only three times in two seasons.

“He has his moments now, and I remind him of it, but he’s gotten better every year, and there is no way he could have been a McDonald’s All-American and us play well against national teams if he hadn’t given more effort and worked harder,” Rice said. 

One of the attributes that sticks out most with Ware is his three-point shooting. Not only is he agile and menacing around the basket, but he can step out and hit triples with ease.

“I have been shooting 3’s since I first started playing basketball,” Ware said. “It’s not just something I picked up. I feel like it is a big advantage for me being able to play inside and out. [Opponents] don’t know what I am going to do next.”

After his impressive performance last season, it didn’t look like Ware needed any help, but he got some when Smith, who is a consensus Top 5 player in the nation by the recruiting services and a Naismith Player of the Year nominee, traveled a few minutes down the road from Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood to NLR to join Ware, whom he has known since grade school.

The two have formed an historic duo, earning the McDonald’s game honor together – the only duo from the same team to accomplish the feat other than Mike Conley Jr. and Greg Oden in 2006.

“I think that is special representing Arkansas together,” Ware said.

Sharing a state title would be special, too, given that is one of the only accolades, other than Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year, that Smith hasn’t taken home.

“Seeing how far we have come and how much work we have put in is pretty cool,” Smith said. “It’s been a great opportunity to play with him. 

“A lot of people doubted us and a lot of people still doubt us, but at the end of the day, we just have to still keep working. At the end of the year, our goal is to win a state championship.”

Ware met Oregon assistant coach Chris Crutchfield when he recruited Ware to Arkansas as part of Eric Musselman’s staff. After taking the head-coaching job at East Central (Okla.) last season and finishing with a 10-9 record, the former University of Oklahoma assistant joined Dana Altman’s staff in Eugene and began recruiting Ware again.

“I have had a relationship with [Crutchfield] since he has been at Arkansas,” Ware said. “I like that he is going to be real with you and tell you what it is, and he is an energetic guy, so he is fun to be around.”

The other appeals of Oregon were Altman, who was the Arkansas coach for a day in 2007, the facilities and the “laid-back environment” of Eugene.

“I just really liked everything about [Oregon],” he said. “I looked at everybody they play [in the Pac-12], and I feel like it is going to be good competition and a good program for me.”

Of course, when he signed, many locals were startled by Ware picking a school 2,000 miles from home, but Ware said the distance didn’t matter to him.

“I am not worried about being homesick, but I don’t feel like my mom is going to handle it well,” Ware said.

Smith, who signed with Arkansas, acknowledged the two didn’t compare notes on the recruiting trail and understood why Ware is heading west. Even though Ware didn’t stay in-state, he’s still proud of his Arkansas roots.

“I want to be remembered as the best big to come out of Arkansas,” Ware said.

After a few talks over the years from Rice, and maybe still a few to come over the next week at the state tournament, Ware has more than made his case.

“His best basketball is ahead of him, it really is,” Rice said. “He can play in the NBA, if he dedicates himself to it.”