Top-50 prospect Lance Ware committed to Kentucky on Thursday, making the Wildcats the only team in the country with three top-50 recruits in the 2020 class.
Ware chose Kentucky over a final five that also included Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Providence, but the Wildcats were the clear favorite since offering Ware in late July. He took official visits to Ohio State and Michigan, but Kentucky head coach John Calipari visited Ware in New Jersey on Monday to secure his commitment.
Ware, a Camden High School (New Jersey) product, is yet another New Jersey high schooler to commit to Calipari at Kentucky. He landed Kahlil Whitney and Nick Richards in recent years, but also recruited Isaiah Briscoe, Karl-Anthony Towns and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to Lexington.
A 6-foot-8 power forward, Ware is ranked No. 42 overall in the ESPN 100 and is among the top 10 players at his position. He averaged 11.4 points and 6.0 rebounds during the spring and summer for the New York Rens on the Nike EYBL circuit, but performed at a high level during the prestigious Nike Peach Jam in July. Ware hit the 20-point mark twice in a five-game stretch at that event.
Ware joins five-star wing BJ Boston and top-50 wing Cam'Ron Fletcher in Kentucky's 2020 class. Both players committed shortly after the July period. They are expecting to add another player later this week, as top-five junior Terrence Clarke will announce his college decision on Saturday. Kentucky is the perceived leader for Clarke, who could reclassify into the 2020 class later this year.
Should Kentucky also land Clarke, the Wildcats will likely turn to point guards and big men to round out the class. Calipari is in pursuit of No. 2 senior Cade Cunningham and five-star junior Devin Askew in the backcourt, as well as five-stars Isaiah Todd, Scottie Barnes and Greg Brown up front. Cliff Omoruyi and JT Thor are two more players who have listed Kentucky.