Lance Ware expanding his range as confidence continues to grow

Kentucky junior forward Lance Ware spent the summer bulking up. Some added muscle should do him wonders as he enters year three with the Wildcats. Ware has become a fan-favorite for his willingness to muck up the action and make the tough plays most won’t (or don’t want to). He’s up to 230 pounds now thanks to Kentucky’s new strength and conditioning program, and his confidence has grown at the same rate his body has.

But the 6-foot-9 Ware will need to bring more to the table as a junior. He’ll likely be the defacto backup center for reigning National Player of the Year, Oscar Tshiebwe, who, unfortunately, can’t play all 40 minutes for head coach John Calipari. Ware has averaged a combined 1.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game across 49 contests during his first two seasons in Lexington. His minutes were cut in half from his freshman to sophomore season due to the emergence of Tshiebwe, but for Kentucky to cover all of its bases this coming season, Ware will need to produce more.

The good news is he’s fully aware of that.

“To be a little bit more productive,” Ware said of his role this season during Wednesday’s SEC Media Day. “Still bring my energy, still bring my passion, rebound, score around the basket when I can, and just get my teammates involved in different ways.”

One of the easiest ways to improve his productivity is by expanding his range. Kentucky fans know that Ware can fight in the paint, battle for 50/50 balls, rebound at a high rate, and stand up for his teammates on the court. But whenever Tshiebwe is off the floor, Kentucky can’t have a significant dropoff from starter to reserve. Ware has been working on preventing that from being the case all offseason, and it starts with his jump shot.

“My jumpshot,” Ware said without hesitation on what he’s been working on the most the last several months. “I’ve definitely been working, early mornings, every day, just trying to get in the gym and get up reps. Because that’s all it is: reps and confidence. The more reps you have, the more confident you become.”

Ware has been a traditional big man so far in his college career. The vast majority of his shots come right at the rim — he shot over 69 percent from two-point range in 2021-22 on 23 total attempts. With the way the modern game of basketball is emphasizing outside shooting, Ware decided he need to do the same.

Don’t expect any 3-pointers (he’s 0-1 for his career), but don’t be shocked at all if he’s stepping out to the 15-18 foot range. Ware hasn’t even done anything to tweak his form; it’s been all about believing in himself.

“Just knock down the 18 (footer),” Ware added. “If I need to, I’ll try to expand my range (to the 3-point line), but you just got to master one thing at a time.”

Right now, Ware is the most comfortable he’s ever been at Kentucky. He’s a veteran and a team leader. As he mentioned, added confidence has come with that. It also probably doesn’t hurt to have assistant coach Orlando Antigua in his ear to help guide him and keep his spirits up.

“Just always keeping me confident,” Ware said of Coach Antigua. “Whether that be workouts or just talking to me, he’ll always fill me in or let me know what I should be doing better, or if I might feel down on myself, he’ll always boost my confidence and say you’re good kid, keep on pushing. That’s one thing I love about Orlando; so positive, everything he says is positive and motivates you.”