Former Arkansas high school star and Kansas standout Nick Bradford knows a big-time basketball player when he sees one.
He is certain he saw one Friday at the Class 6A state tournament in North Little Rock junior center and highly coveted Arkansas 2022 recruiting target Kel’el Ware (7-0, 210).
Ware had 18 of his game-high 26 points in the third quarter while also grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking 4 shots as the Charging Wildcats routed Rogers 68-25 in a quarterfinal matchup.
“Man, I love his game,” said Bradford, a former Fayetteville star who played for the Jayhawks from 1996-2000 and was NBA star Paul Pierce’s roommate as a freshman. “I love his touch around the basket, and defensively he looks like he has some great timing on things. To be a great shot blocker you have got to have great timing and he does a good job of reading the offense.”
Ware, ranked the 32nd-best player in the 2022 class by 247 Sports, showed off his range by knocking down three of four three-pointers.
He has offers from Arkansas, Kansas, Auburn, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, TCU, Virginia Tech and others.
Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman, whose No. 8 team is now 22-5 after a 70-64 win over Missouri on Friday in the SEC Tournament, has recruited Ware as hard as he can during the past two years.
“My first thought while watching him play was I hope Coach Muss doesn’t let him get out of here,” Bradford said. “I love their whole team.”
Ware has taken notice of the success Arkansas is having this season.
“I feel like they are going good,” Ware said. “All their freshman are playing great. The whole team has been playing incredible. I am very impressed with what they are doing.”
Ware is in no hurry to make a commitment.
“It is going to be quite a while because I am still getting phone calls from new schools and I am still talking to coaches,” Ware said. “I have not made any kind of decisions yet.”
North Little Rock coach Johnny Rice’s team led 19-2 early and 31-10 at halftime. Ware had just eight points at the break.
Ware, who outscored Rogers by himself, took over in the third quarter and left little doubt about his team advancing to a semifinal game against Fort Smith Northside Saturday at 8 p.m.
“I think that was as hard as we have played all year and that is so encouraging,” Rice said. “I love seeing that effort, and we were as engaged as we have been all year.
“(Ware) got good looks in the first half and they just didn’t go in. But we kept feeding him and they sure did in the second half.”
Little Rock Central and Bryant will play in the other semifinal at 1 p.m. with the winners advancing to the state championship game next weekend in Hot Springs.
Ware is one of six 2022 in-state prospects who Arkansas has offered, as well as a pair of 2023 standouts.
Bradford, now an assistant at Fayetteville, is impressed with the state’s current talent.
“That’s one thing about being back home in Arkansas, I am amazed at how much talent we have in our state,” Bradford said. “It’s good, it’s refreshing and it makes me proud to be an Arkansan to see how good it is and how much talent we have.”