NBA Draft Preview: Indiana basketball stars Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trayce Jackson-Davis and other key notes

The 2023 NBA Draft is finally here and Indiana basketball stars Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis are all but confirmed to hear their named called in New York tonight.

Both Hood-Schifino and Jackson-Davis will be the first Hoosiers since Mike Woodson took over as Indiana basketball head coach to be selected in the NBA Draft.

Where things stand right now, Hood-Schifino is projected to be selected anywhere from the lottery (1-14) to mid-late first round while Jackson-Davis will likely hear his name called late-first round/early-second round.

Jalen Hood-Schifino was also one of the players to be invited to the NBA Draft green room. In his lone season at Indiana, he was one of the top freshmen in the country this past year averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 32 total games. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year this season as well as All-Big Ten Second-Team.

Jackson-Davis, on the other hand, leaves Indiana basketball as one of the all-time Hoosier greats. In his senior season, he averaged 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.9 blocks per game. He was a consensus First-Team All-American and unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten selection while also the Karl Malone Award winner for the top power forward in the country.

Below is a preview plus other key notes about Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and the 2023 NBA Draft.

Combine Measurements

Jalen Hood-Schifino:

Hand length (inches): 9.00
Hand width (inches):9.75
Height without shoes: 6’4.25″
Standing reach: 8’4.25″
Weight: 216.6
Wingspan: 6’10.25″

Other Notes: The second tallest among those invited to the combine at the point guard position. His wingspan was fourth among all guards, highest at the point guard position.

Trayce Jackson-Davis:

Hand length (inches): 9.25
Hand width (inches): 10.75
Height without shoes:6’8.25″
Standing reach: 8’10.00″
Weight: 240.4
Wingspan: 7’1.00″

Other Notes: Ranked first among all center prospects at the combine in standing vertical jump (33.0), max vertical jump (36.5), shuttle run (3.16), and three-quarter sprint (3.20).

Quotes from NBA Scouts to HoosierIllustrated.com

Jalen Hood-Schifino: “The IQ, leadership and playmaking are clearly there. One area I (NBA scout) took for granted would be a strength coming in to the year was his defense and it seemed he had trouble keeping quicker guards in front of him at times. I could see him initially being paired with an undersized shooting guard that can guard 1’s to keep him on the wings.”

Trayce Jackson-Davis: “I think (NBA) teams were able to see his playmaking and defense take a step, with his PnR (pick and roll) defense previously being a big knock on him he’s probably still inconsistent but above average at this point and every team loves having the ability to play through big’s, especially since most PG’s in the NBA are more combo guards than true PG’s. Coaches increasingly appreciate and know how to use versatility at each position, so this gives you someone else on the floor that can make plays for others.”

Key Stats

– The Indiana basketball program ranks seventh among all Division I programs with 26 players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft since its inception in 1947.

– The Hoosiers rank second among Big Ten teams in first-round picks and are one of five conference schools with at least 20 first-round selections.

– Indiana has produced two No. 1 overall picks, tied for third in the NCAA. In total, IU has had 77 players selected in the NBA Draft.

Indiana Basketball Players Selected in the First Round of the NBA Draft

First Overall
Walt Bellamy, Chicago, 1961
Kent Benson, Milwaukee, 1977

Second Overall
Archie Dees, Cincinnati, 1958
Scott May, Chicago, 1976
Isiah Thomas, Detroit, 1981
Victor Oladipo, Orlando, 2013

Fourth Overall
Cody Zeller, Charlotte, 2013

Sixth Overall
Calbert Cheaney, Washington, 1993

Seventh Overall
Quinn Buckner, Milwaukee, 1976
Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers, 2008

Eighth Overall
Ward Williams, Fort Wayne, 1948

Ninth Overall
Noah Vonleh, Charlotte, 2014

11th Overall
Bob Wilkerson, Seattle, 1976
Jared Jeffries, Washington, 2002

12th Overall
Mike Woodson, New York, 1980

14th Overall
Romeo Langford, Boston, 2019

16th Overall
Alan Henderson, Atlanta, 1995
Kirk Haston, Charlotte, 2001

17th Overall
Steve Downing, Boston, 1973
Uwe Blab, Dallas, 1985
Greg Graham, Charlotte, 1993

18th Overall
Ray Tolbert, New Jersey, 1981

22nd Overall
Randy Wittman, Washington, 1983

23rd Overall
OG Anunoby, Toronto, 2017

27th Overall
Brian Evans, Orlando, 1995

29th Overall
D.J. White, Detroit, 2008

How To Watch

When: Tonight, with first-round coverage starting at at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Broadcast: ABC and ESPN

Analysts: ABC (Kevin Negandhi, Stephen A. Smith, Adrian Wojnarowski)/ESPN (Malik Andrews, Jay Bilas, JJ Redick, Andraya Carter, Monica McNutt, Bobby Marks, Adrian Wojnarowski)

SEE ALSO: Indiana basketball looks to 2023 NBA Draft as culmination of past two years

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