Kevin Ware got quite the wake-up call Thursday.
Around 9:30 a.m., Georgia State coach Ron Hunter called to tell him that his petition to play basketball next season was granted by the NCAA.
“That was a great way to start the morning,” Ware said.
Ware, who led Rockdale County High to a 26-2 record as a senior, transferred to Georgia State in April from Louisville. NCAA rules require most transfers sit out a season, but players can ask for immediate eligibility.
A key member of the 2012-13 Cardinals team that won the national championship at the Georgia Dome, Ware sustained a broken right leg during that tournament, a gruesome injury that caused him to miss the final few games. A 6-foot-2 guard, Ware returned from his broken leg to average 1.7 points per game while playing in nine games last season before deciding to sit out the rest of the season.
“I’m happy for Kevin,” Hunter said. “This closes that chapter for him and he can finally start over.”
Ware’s mother still lives in Conyers, which is one of the reasons that he chose to transfer to Georgia State.
“It was a relief,” Ware said. “I couldn’t take it for granted. They could have told me no. I’m very thankful. I’m putting in a lot of hard work right to be able to contribute to this team.”
Ware joins a Panthers squad that went 17-1 in Sun Belt Conference play and won the regular-season conference title. That Panthers return stars Ryan Harrow, R.J. Hunter and Curtis Washington from a team that went 25-9 last season.
Hunter said he will use Ware as a combo guard next season. Ware, a 34.1-percent 3-pointer shooter at Louisville, has worked to improve his jump shot. Hunter said he wants him now to work on attacking the basket because when Ware “plays downhill he’s hard to stop.” Ware, who said Hunter wants him to shoot 7-10 free throws per game, said that was the type of player he was at Rockdale County when Hunter first recruited him to come to Georgia State.
But it may be that Ware’s defense will have the most impact.
Hunter said with Ware, next season’s team may be better at defending than was his first team at Georgia State, which set records in 2011-12 for defensive rebounds (839), blocked shots (183), fewest points allowed per game (58.9) and lowest field-goal percentage allowed per game (38.0).
“He’s a tremendous talent,” Hunter said.
The NCAA ruled on Ware’s situation much quicker than they did last year when Harrow transferred from Kentucky and also was granted immediate eligibility. Hunter said he wasn’t surprised.
“It’s really trying to do the right thing,” he said. “It was kind of a no-brainer. His situation was so public.”
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
