2022-23
Junior: Played in 28 games, including six starts … Averaged 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game … Went for four points and five rebounds in win at Arkansas … Totaled a season-high 30 minutes with six boards, six points and three assists at Missouri … In his six starts this season, he averaged 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steals and shot 59.1% from the field … Played 14 important minutes for the Cats against UCLA, scoring two points and had season highs in rebounds (5) and assists (3) … Had a career-high 12 points and added a pair of blocks in the win over South Carolina State … Posted a game- and career-best four steals to go along with four points and three rebounds against Howard.

2021-22
Sophomore: Named to the 2021-22 SEC Community Service Team … Appeared in 28 games in his second season with the Wildcats … Missed three due to injury … Registered career highs in points (42), blocks (11) and field-goal percentage (66.7%) … Led the team in blocks in four games … Played a season-high 16 minutes and snared six rebounds in the SEC Tournament semifinals vs. Tennessee … Tied his career high with a pair of steals, while also adding three rebounds in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals against Vanderbilt … Had four points and a season-high seven rebounds in the home win over Florida … Tallied four points and four rebounds in 10 highly effective minutes at Kansas … Had two points and four boards in the overtime win over Mississippi State … Scored two points and snatched five boards in the win over High Point … Had five points and three boards in the SEC opener against Missouri … Scored four points against North Florida.

2020-21
Freshman: Key reserve for the Wildcats who added physicality and quality rebounding … Appeared in 21 games and made three starts … Scored 41 points, hauled in 63 rebounds, totaled 11 blocks, corralled six steals and dished out eight assists … Led the team in rebounds in two games and in blocks twice … Also paced the team in steals once … Produced a pair of double-figure rebounding efforts … Grabbed four rebounds in the Southeastern Conference Tournament game against Mississippi State … Played 29 minutes and recorded a career-high eight points, 10 rebounds and a career-high three blocks at No. 18/17 Missouri … Totaled seven points and a pair of rebounds in the win over LSU … Scored four points, had four rebounds and logged a block, a steal and an assist in the loss at Auburn … Notched four points, a career-high 13 rebounds and a career-best four assists in the double-overtime win at Mississippi State … Posted four points, four rebounds and a blocked shot at Louisville … Breakout game came against No. 22/21 North Carolina with four points, seven rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes of action … Scored his first career point with a free throw against Georgia Tech … Had five rebounds, two blocks and a steal in his collegiate debut against Morehead State.

HIGH SCHOOL
Led high school team to a 29-1 record his senior season … Averaged 11.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks for a team that won its final 25 games … Squad claimed the South Jersey, Group 2 championship and the No. 1 spot in the final NJ.com Top 50 rankings … Named the NJ.com Player of the Year and was a NJ.com All-State First Team selection … Averaged 11.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League in 2019 … Also performed well at the Peach Jam finals in 2019, averaging 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game … Selected to the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic … Four-star prospect ranked as high as No. 36 in the class by Rivals.

PERSONAL
Born Feb. 8 in Edgewater Park, New Jersey … Parents are Monique Ripka and Stephen Ware … Has two siblings, Shataya and Stefon … Major is undeclared/exploratory studies in agriculture … Chose Kentucky over Michigan, Ohio State, Providence and Miami … Lists his parents as his life’s greatest influences … Chose No. 55 because it is unique … Favorite show on Netflix is All-American … Listens to Drake before games … Lists Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as his favorite former UK player … His most memorable moment as a basketball player is going 29-1 his final season of high school … Enjoys playing Call of Duty when he’s not playing basketball.