LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Four former Indiana Hoosiers are taking part in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this month, which tipped off on Thursday. Kel'el Ware, the most high profile young player with Indiana ties, led the way on Friday.
Ware, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Oumar Ballo and Miller Kopp are all in Las Vegas. Here's what they did in their first games. All 30 NBA teams are here, and each team is guaranteed at least five games.
Kel'el Ware was drafted by the Miami Heat with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, and had a good rookie season in South Florida, averaging 9.3 points and 7.4 rebounds. The 7-foot-1 center is considered a big piece of the Heat's future, playing in 64 games a year ago with 36 starts.
The Heat played the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, and lost 105-98. Ware started at center and played 27 minutes. He scored 10 points and had six rebounds. He was 4-for-9 but missed both three-point attempts. The Heat play again on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET, taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game is on NBA TV.
Ware played one season at Indiana in 2023-24, his sophomore year. He played at Oregon as a freshman.
Miller Kopp went undrafted after leaving Indiana in 2023, but he's spent the past two years with the Oklahoma City Thunder's G League team. This summer, he's caught on with the Detroit Pistons.
Kopp, a 6-foot-7 forward, played 11 minutes in the Pistons' 104-86 victory over the New York Knicks. He scored three points, making 1-of-3 shots, all three-point attempts. The Pistons play again on Sunday, taking on the Houston Rockets at 4 p.m. ET.
Former Indiana point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino was a first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023, but it didn't work out for him there. He signed with the Philadelphia 76ers last winter, and is hoping to make their regular season roster in the fall.
Hood-Schifino and the 76ers had a rough start on Thursday night, losing 111-70 to the San Antonio Spurs. Hood-Schifino started at point guard, but was 0-for-4 from the field with two rebounds. The Sixers play again on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET against the Charlotte Hornets. The game is being televised on ESPN2.
Oumar Ballo played one year at Indiana last season, but wasn't picked in the 2025 NBA Draft. He signed with the Miami Heat for the summer, but did not play in Friday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Ware and former Michigan standout Vladislav Goldin got all the minutes at center.
Tamar Bates, who played at Indiana from 2021-23 but finished his career at Missouri, is playing the Summer League as well with the Denver Nuggets. He played 18 minutes in the Nuggets' 90-89 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring eight points. He was 3-for-9 from the field, and 1-for-2 from three. He also had two rebounds and two assists. Denver plays again Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on NBA TV.