For far too many times to count at this point, Trayce Jackson-Davis has been asked about the development of his perimeter shot.
Each time he politely answered that he has been working on it, but first and foremost, he planned to take what the defense gave him.
On Saturday night, to the shock of many including the IU staff, what Marshall gave Jackson-Davis was one-on-one post coverage. And even when Marshall started to double the post they were still giving Jackson-Davis openings in the paint, because with his explosive first step and IU spacing the floor well, he doesn’t need more than a crack.
So all night long, what the defense was “giving” Jackson-Davis was in the paint, and when he is in the paint, dunks happen. Lots of them.
Point guard Xavier Johnson said he thought the single coverage on Jackson-Davis was disrespectful. The IU big man took out his anger on the rims.
All 18 of Jackson-Davis’ field goals came in the paint, and according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, for as long as such data has been tracked he tied a college basketball record with 10 of those baskets coming via dunks.
“Ten dunks for Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis yesterday in a win over Marshall. Finished with 43 points on just 24 shots. No player has ever recorded more dunks in a single game in the NCAA play by play, era dating back to 2010,” Givony wrote on Twitter.
According to NBA Draft researcher Jon Kepkevich, Jackson-Davis had more dunks in the game than 200 Division One teams have had all season.
Jackson-Davis was the first IU player to go for 40 in a game since 1994, he scored more points in a game than anyone ever has in the 50-year history of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, and he scored more points than anyone else had in a Division One game thus far this season.
You can watch his complete, historic night here.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- Find us on Facebook: thedailyhoosier
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
