The Daily Hoosier

Trayce Jackson-Davis can become IU basketball’s all-time leader in rebounds and blocks

May 22, 2022 Mike Schumann IUBB 8

If he had walked away after three seasons, Trayce Jackson-Davis would have left with his name etched throughout the IU basketball record books.

The 6-foot-9 All-Big Ten performer is already just  the second player in IU history with 1,500 points, 750 rebounds and 150 blocks, joining Alan Henderson with that prestigious distinction.

Here is where Jackson-Davis currently stands in Indiana history:

  • 15th on IU all-time scoring list with 1,588 points
  • Ninth in rebounds (797)
  • Seventh in blocked shots (178)
  • Seventh in FG percentage (55.8%)

Jackson-Davis set the single-game Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall scoring record last year when he poured in 43 points against Marshall.

And now after deciding to come back for a fourth season, the Greenwood, Ind. product is positioned to climb further up the career charts.

Just how far can he go?

If we assume Jackson-Davis will score his career average of 16.9 points per game next season, he’ll end up with 2,179 points if IU plays another 35 games in 2022-23.  With that career total, Jackson-Davis would move up to fourth all time in program history.  Don Schlundt’s third-best 2,192 points is also clearly within reach.

Jackson-Davis is still more than 1,000 points behind program and Big Ten all-time scoring leader Calbert Cheaney’s 2,613.  Even if IU played 40 games, Jackson-Davis would need to average more than 25 a contest to threaten that mark.  He did average 26.5 in Indiana’s four games prior to their season-ending loss to St. Mary’s.

Jackson-Davis has a very good chance to become IU’s all-time rebounds leader.  Using the same metrics — career average (8.5) and 35 games, he’ll stand at 1,093, two more than all-time leader Alan Henderson and six more than Walt Bellamy.

After a big junior season blocking shots, Jackson-Davis is seventh all-time with 178 swats.  Again using his career average and 35 games, he would end up with 244 blocks, 17 more than all-time leader Jeff Newton.  This is a record that is clearly well within reach, especially when considering the IU big man’s block numbers saw a considerable boost in his lone season playing under Mike Woodson.  His 81 blocks in 2021-22 were the third most ever in a single-season by a Hoosier.

Jackson-Davis’ career field goal percentage of 55.8 is currently seventh all-time.  It would obviously take a highly-efficient senior season to surpass Thomas Bryant’s career-best mark of 59.2.  Jackson-Davis would need to be in the neighborhood of 70 percent next year over a full season to claim the top spot.

Technically speaking, Jackson-Davis has a fifth year of eligibility remaining that he could use in 2023-24.  If it came to that, there is little doubt he would end up as IU’s all-time leader in points, rebounds and blocks.

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