Lance Ware adding weight as he works for larger role in '22-23 season

Lance Ware isn’t the most important returning player for Kentucky head coach John Calipari — that would understandably be unanimous national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe — but the 6-foot-9 forward should expect to play a larger year in year three as a Wildcat than he did as a freshman or sophomore.

Ware averaged just 1.5 points and 1.9 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game in 2021-22. It was a step down from his 12.1 minutes per game as a freshman, but playing alongside more talented players (and within a more talent-ladened system) as a sophomore allowed him to carve out an impactful role.

Calipari’s “How about Lance?” catchphrase from last season wasn’t a gimmick — Ware truly did make winning plays at a consistent level (when he was able to find his way onto the court, that is). While he only logged double-digit minutes in five of his 28 appearances last season, his presence was always felt on the floor. Ware’s five-point, three-rebound effort in a 27-point January win over Missouri doesn’t sound like much on the surface, but Calipari praised his approach and mindset heading into that game.

“How about Lance today?” Calipari said following the 83-56 win. “Here’s a guy, and I want you to understand, I stuck in Daimion [Collins] before I did Lance. Lance didn’t say, ‘That’s disrespectful to me.’ What? I coach, you play. I put you in, you do your thing. He played. Same thing with North Carolina. He went in and made a big difference in the game.”

Ware has never been a selfish player while at Kentucky. He’s been biding his time, patiently working for his spot. Even though he’ll once again be playing behind Tshiebwe and alongside the likes of Daimion Collins and Jacob Toppin, it’s going to be tough to keep Ware off the floor this coming season. He’s been improving his body this summer and dominated the competition in Brazil a couple of months ago.

“With me going to Brazil and playing in games over there, it got my confidence a lot higher,” Ware said last month. “That’s what the game is really about, being confident in your game. I know I can do stuff, but if you don’t have your mind set on what you can do, you might not be sure, then it’s going to be iffy. Keeping my confidence, obviously developing my game, gaining some weight, trying to gain like 10-15 pounds and get stronger. I’m always going to play hard.”

Ware brings unmatched energy to the floor whenever he checks into the game. If he can couple that with added skill and sky-high confidence, there’s no reason to believe he can’t have a breakout season. Calipari reiterated that idea during his statewide tour with Kroger earlier this week.

“Lance has put on pounds,” Calipari told the media on Tuesday. “I said Lance I want you to be 240 (pounds), he’s at 233 right now. I’d really like him to be 245 because we’ve all seen the impact he has on games when he plays, his energy. He’s really a smart player, now add the weight so that you can physically dominant — and he’s done that.”

Extra muscle will only make Ware that much more difficult to deal with in the paint. He was already a pest to opposing bigs last season — a guy who could get under someone’s skin without intentionally meaning to. Making him even tougher to move around down low will allow Ware to work more effectively fighting for rebounds and finishing at the rim.

“I have to get in the best shape ever, be able to run forever, play as long as I can,” Ware said in June. “Working on my skill, just working on that every single day. Everyone knows I have a motor and that I’ll go out there and play hard. I just need to continue working on my skill so I can be able to produce more.”