Kentucky Signee Lance Ware Named NJ.com Player of the Year

Kentucky men’s basketball signee Lance Ware has been named NJ.com Boys Basketball Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season.

Ware, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Burlington, NJ., is rated a four-star recruit and No. 31 overall player in the 2020 class by the 247 Sports Composite.

The Kentucky signee averaged 11.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks for Camden High School this season.

While his points per game seems low for a player ranked as high as he is, Ware sacrificed a lot of shot attempts for his team to be successful, according to a story written by Kevin Minnick of NJ.com.

“He sacrificed his ability to score 25 points a game for the betterment of the team,” coach Rick Brunson told NJ.com. “We don’t go 29-1 without Lance sacrificing some things.”

As for what his high school coach expects to see Ware do at Kentucky, here is what he had to say.

“He’s not going to walk into Kentucky and give them 20 a night, but the transition should be smooth. He needs to refine his skills so he can be an elite player. But if he continues to be an elite defender – covering all five positions – and if he can play and rebound at an elite level, he’s going to make a lot of money one day.”

[NJ.com]