A pair of Indiana University standouts will head out west.
Western Conference teams landed both Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Hood-Schifino went 17th overall to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. The Golden State Warriors used the 57th pick to take Jackson-Davis in the second round. He was the second-to-last pick of this year’s draft.
In March, Hood-Schifino announced his plans to enter the NBA Draft. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and made second-team All-Big Ten. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists during his freshman year in Bloomington.
“Lakers got them a GREAT one,” Jackson-Davis tweeted of his teammate’s selection.
The freshman played a much larger role than expected during his only season at IU after starting point guard Xavier Johnson suffered a season-ending foot injury.
Measured at 6’4.25” (without shoes) and 216 pounds with a 6’10.25” wingspan at the NBA Scouting Combine, Hood-Schifino’s quickness, vision, size and scoring ability made him a tantalizing first-round possibility. His NBA.com scouting profile projects him as a combo guard who can distribute and defend.
To the consternation of many IU fans, the Indiana Pacers had the opportunity to pick both players but ultimately passed. The Blue and Gold took Miami’s Isaiah Wong at 55 when Jackson-Davis, still available, went two picks later to Golden State.
Jackson-Davis’ career at IU was unmatched. He grew his game every season and led the team to the NCAA Tournament. He finished as IU’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,258 points. The consensus first-team All-American averaged 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.9 blocks per game during his senior season.
Measured 6’8.25” (without shoes) and 240 pounds with a 7’1” wingspan at the scouting combine, Jackson-Davis was one of the harder NBA prospects for scouts to get a handle on. He boasts tremendous athleticism, with a great around-the-rim presence as a scorer and shot blocker. He’s strong, consistent at the free throw line and is an exceptional ball handler and passer for his size and frame.
But he’s considered undersized for an NBA center while his perimeter game is a mystery, making him an enigmatic fit in today’s perimeter-driven NBA game. Jackson-Davis did his damage at IU inside, finishing his NCAA career without making a 3-pointer. He said during his June workout with the Pacers that he’d been working on his outside shot.
“Y’all will regret it… I promise you,” Jackson-Davis wrote on Twitter to the 29 NBA teams who decided to pass him up in Thursday’s draft.
Xavier Johnson, who will return to Bloomington for an extra year of eligibility, had his teammate’s back.
“Just know… y’all are in a wakeup call in TJD, and it starts in Vegas,” Johnson tweeted, using “Vegas” in reference to the site of the NBA Summer League where Jackson-Davis will presumably see his first NBA action.