Final Grades: Breaking Down Trayce Jackson-Davis’ 2022 Season With Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana’s school basketball fortunes rotated within the 2021-22 season, and an enormous purpose why stemmed from a brief assembly in early April between new coach Mike Woodson and star heart Trayce Jackson-Davis. Woodson wished him to attend on his NBA aspirations and spend one other yr getting higher. In a matter of minutes, Jackson-Davis mentioned sure.

It labored. Jackson-Davis, a 6-foot-9 left-hander from Greenwood, Ind., was already fairly good. He had led the Hoosiers in scoring his first two years, and did the identical this season, averaging 18.3 factors per recreation. He now has 1,588 profession factors, which is sweet for No. 15 all-time within the Indiana faculty scoring record.

He confirmed enchancment and added lots to his recreation, particularly on the defensive finish. He was, with out query, Indiana’s finest participant and he had an enormous end to the season after a February stoop. He made plenty of memorable moments, like scoring 43 factors towards Marshall in November, probably the most factors scored in a recreation within the 50-year historical past of Meeting Corridor. It was the Tenth-highest scoring efficiency at school historical past.

He scored 20 factors or extra 12 occasions, and topped 30 4 occasions. He had 10 double-doubles, and 81 blocked pictures, excess of the 38 he had a yr.

There have been plenty of steps in the best route for Jackson-Davis, and plenty of memorable moments. There have been some down moments too, however the March bounce-back from them was throughly fulfilling.

Here is a breakdown of his season, what I preferred and did not like, his finest recreation and future prospects and – after all – his remaining grade.

There’s additionally a terrific video chat with HoosiersNow.com video director Haley Jordan, so test that out as nicely.

Trayce Jackson-Davis by the numbers

• Video games performed: 35 of 35
• Video games began: 35 of 35
• Common minutes: 32.3 (first on group)
• Factors per recreation: 18.3 (first on group)
• Rebounds per recreation: 8.1 (first on group)
• Assists per recreation: 1.9 (second on group)
• Steals per recreation: 0.6 (fifth on group)
• Blocks per recreation: 2.3 (first on group)
• Subject purpose share: 58.9 (246-for-418)
• 3-point share: 0.0 (0-for-3)
• Free throw share: 67.4 (147-for-214)

What I preferred

There was lots to love about Jackson-Davis’ junior season at Indiana, beginning with the truth that it even occurred in any respect. He performed for Archie Miller for 2 years, and posted some numbers however did not win plenty of video games. He did not look comfortable.

Deciding to stay round and play for Woodson was an enormous deal, as a result of it gave Indiana an opportunity to be good. They usually have been. Not nice, however good. And Jackson-Davis was the large purpose why they have been good. Not nice, however superb. 

Going from 12 wins to 21 was particular. He had big video games in a number of massive wins, the 43 towards Marshall, the 27 in an enormous house win towards Ohio State, the 23 to interrupt a protracted street shedding streak at Nebraska and a Massive Ten Event run for the ages, the place he had 24 and 21 factors in upset wins over Michigan and Illinois, and 31 within the heartbreaking semifinals loss to Iowa. He had 29 factors in Indiana’s NCAA Event win over Wyoming, the varsity’s first tourney win since 2016.

Even in just a few losses, he had massive video games, 31 at Syracuse, 30 in a troublesome house loss to Wisconsin that slipped away. The 31 towards Iowa within the Massive Ten Event was loopy spectacular, solely to be upstaged by Jordan Bohannon’s silly half-court heave on the buzzer to win.

Jackson-Davis’ purpose was to return again and play in massive video games at Indiana, and he did simply that in March. He benefited an important deal from enjoying for Woodson and his workers. He added lots to his recreation, turning into a terrific inside defender and shot-blocker and including extra submit strikes, particularly to his proper, and extra spin strikes and aggressive drives to the ring, even together with his proper hand.

What would not present up on the stat sheet is his development as a frontrunner on this group. He interacted so nicely all yr, with each teammates and coaches. He and finest buddy Race Thompson performed off of one another nicely within the paint. He saved pushing and nurturing the younger gamers, and was a mentor to them as nicely.

There have been moments, massive and small, that resonated all year long. He turned an important chief. I will not neglect him saddling as much as Khristian Lander throughout the guard’s postgame interview at Maryland and placing his arm round his shoulders as Lander answered questions. Jackson-Davis by no means mentioned a phrase, simply held on to his teammate and smiled, like a superb massive brother. That second meant the world to Lander.

He did plenty of good issues, on and off the ground.

Nevertheless it wasn’t excellent, not by any means. There are nonetheless gaps in his recreation, and there was a nasty stretch in February that took a number of the shine off of his season. 

What I did not like

Throughout Indiana’s swoon in February, the place they went 2-7 in a troublesome nine-game stretch and misplaced give video games in a row at one level, Jackson-Davis struggled mightily on his personal. In 4 of the losses, he was simply 15-for-44 from the sphere, a mere 34 p.c.

He additionally tended to be a non-factor late in video games, and after I put all of the end-of-game numbers collectively for a narrative, it was gorgeous how little he bought carried out late in video games. Defenses had one thing to do with that, as a result of he bought double-teamed typically, however he additionally deferred to teammates too typically, and plenty of occasions they let him down with poor perimeter play.

However he additionally missed plenty of in-close pictures, and admitted he was slumping and in a funk in February. When he could not make pictures by means of site visitors on the rim — I so want he would be taught to make use of the backboard extra — he did not produce other choices in his recreation. No mid-range jumper, no three-point menace to unfold out a protection. There have been limits to his repertoire, for positive.

He was a middle, a submit participant and never a lot else, which is why I name him a middle as an alternative of a ahead on this story. Just a few days after the story on his end-of-game struggles, I additionally wrote a column questioning whether or not Mike Woodson had let him down by not including that perimeter choice to his combine. Woodson mentioned he makes these mid-range jumpers in apply, however Jackson-Davis mentioned enjoying inside was what Woodson wished. There was a little bit disconnect there, regardless of all the expansion that they had as a duo.

The nice far outweighed the dangerous, after all, however he actually left us wishing for extra this season.

Finest recreation

There are plenty of ”finest video games” to select from for Jackson-Davis this season. He was that good. There have been many moments when he was merely unstoppable, particularly when groups thought they might get by with single protection on him. Nobody can guard him one-on-one constantly.

It is arduous to not select the Nov. 27 Marshall recreation, when he set an Meeting Corridor scoring file with 43 factors. Within the iconic 50-year historical past of that constructing, nobody had ever carried out that earlier than. There have been many different nice moments, however for me, one actually stands out.

And his ”finest recreation” was actually a ”finest half,” as a result of what he did towards Michigan within the Massive Ten Event was basic. Indiana’s postseason life was on the road within the 8-9 recreation within the second spherical, and the Hoosiers have been down 17 factors. However led by Jackson-Davis, they went on a 28-4 run and bought an enormous victory to maintain their season alive. He had 12 factors within the run, plus a number of blocks pictures. 

It was his finest second as a result of it mattered probably the most. Indiana would not play within the NCAA Event with out this win and, because it turned out, its win the following day towards No. 1 seed Illinois. Jackson-Davis was nice then, too, as he was within the semifinal loss to Iowa. 

That postseason stardom solidified his greatness on an enormous stage. It made the postseason run of a week-plus loopy fulfilling. That half, although, it was career-defining for positive, as a result of it made these earlier late-game struggles moot.

Future prospects

Properly, this can be a the nice unknown proper now. Jackson-Davis has entered his identify into the 2022 NBA Draft course of, however he has till June 1 to withdraw and return to school. He has mentioned he needs to get all the data he can throughout this course of the place he can interview and work out for groups, however there may be nonetheless an opportunity that he returns to Indiana.

Personally, I believe there is a good probability that also occurs, coming again to Bloomington. He actually loved enjoying for Woodson final yr, and he loves his teammates. With a top-five recruiting class coming in, ought to Jackson-Davis return, Indiana simply could be Massive Ten favorites. Jackson-Davis, a local Hoosier, would like to have a Massive Ten title on his resume.

It solely takes one NBA group to love him, not 30, so we’ll see the way it all performs out. He added lots to his recreation this yr, and he can add extra. For egocentric causes, I might like to see him come again as a result of it might make Indiana so significantly better. He is additionally a pleasure to look at and a pleasure to work with. He is an important interview, all the time trustworthy and forthright together with his solutions, and a superb child to be round.

We’ll know quickly sufficient. 

Remaining Grade: A-minus

A-minus: That is the primary of 14 report playing cards, and on virtually all of them, it was powerful to give you a remaining grade, bouncing backwards and forwards between a spread of grades.

It is no completely different with Trayce. He did plenty of fantastic issues this yr and there’s no denying that he is a terrific participant. Indiana’s finest, for positive. I vacillated between an A-minus as a B-plus for a number of causes. The February swoon, actually, was a difficulty. The shortage of affect late in video games was, too.

However details are details, and he had plenty of nice video games. In many of the video games the place his numbers have been low, it was due to fixed double groups and, let’s be frank, his personal teammates let him down by not making perimeter pictures.

I watched him rating 43 factors at Meeting Corridor and I have been watching video games there for the reason that constructing opened. Nobody has EVER carried out that earlier than. I watched him be THE BEST PLAYER within the Massive Ten Event for 3 straight days. I watched him rating 29 factors in an NCAA Event recreation, the primary one for the Indiana program since 2016.

Once I assume like a trainer typically, I give the advantage of the doubt when a grade is on the cusp. Trayce will get additional credit score for being an important teammate, an important chief and an important consultant of this program and this college. 

So he get’s the A-minus and sure, heck sure, I hope he is again for one more yr to do much more.

NEXT UP: Indiana senior ahead Race Thompson.

Trayce Jackson Davis: Photographs all through the season