In just over three weeks Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis will nervously await a phone call during the 2023 NBA Draft.
Both players are widely expected to be chosen, and when that happens they’ll give IU their first NBA Draft choice since 2019 (Romeo Langford), and the first time they’ve had two players go in one draft since 2017 (Thomas Bryant and OG Anunoby).
HoopsHype has aggregated 10 mock drafts after the combine and pro days and found that Hood-Schifino has held constant at an average choice of No. 16.
While Hood-Schifino generally has held right on the fringe of the lottery, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony believes the one-and-done guard improved his draft stock considerably over the last couple weeks.
ESPN updated their mock draft on Wednesday, after the latest HoopsHype aggregation. Givony has Hood-Schifino going at No. 9.
“Hood-Schifino is one of the big winners of the measurements and pro day portions of the draft process, as he clearly possesses all-star-level physical tools with his tremendous size, frame and length for a point guard,” Givony wrote. “Players with his caliber of upside tend to rise as we get closer to the draft. Many executives pivot into home run-swing mode at this stage of the lottery, especially teams like the Jazz who have three picks at their disposal and some clear holes to plug in the backcourt.”
Meanwhile, former IU big man Jackson-Davis continues to appear to be comfortably in the draft. He came in at No. 36 in the HoopsHype aggregation, and he went No. 38 to the Sacramento Kings in the latest ESPN update.
The 2023 NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, June 22 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
