Indiana sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis did what he always does on Thursday night in Indianapolis. He produced.
The Greenwood, Ind. product finished with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed a team-best nine rebounds (four offensive) and blocked two shots in 36 minutes of action as Indiana fell to Rutgers 61-50 at the Big Ten Tournament.
Jackson-Davis reached double digits in the scoring column in 26-of-27 games this season. For his career he has produced 949 points, 513 rebounds, 97 blocks, and 22 double-doubles in 59 games.
But now the question becomes, have we seen the last of the 6-foot-9 Jackson-Davis at Indiana? He was asked the question on Thursday night.
“Right now, I’m not worried about that,” Jackson-Davis said. “I’ll probably take a few weeks off just trying to get my mind right, laying everything out and make the decision that’s best for me. Right now, I’m not worried about that. I’m going to get all the feedback I need and go from there, make the right decision.”
A consensus top-20 recruit in the class of 2019, Jackson-Davis has lived up to the lofty expectations. He was named first team All-Big Ten and third team All-American earlier this week.
Jackson-Davis turned 21 a few weeks ago. He clearly has a bright future ahead of him playing professional basketball.
The questions right now would seem to be how soon does he want to get on with getting paid to play, how much does he believe he can improve his NBA Draft potential by developing further, and where might that development be best achieved. Indiana obviously has head coaching uncertainty at this moment which could also play a role in his decision making process.
Most NBA Draft projections have Jackson-Davis as a second round pick. His elite athleticism will be enticing to league executives, but there are legitimate concerns about his ability to make perimeter shots and score with his right hand.
Jackson-Davis will almost certainly at a minimum put his name in the NBA Draft to obtain feedback. He can also sign with an NCAA-certified agent while not negatively impacting his college eligibility.
Players must enter their names as early entrants in the NBA Draft 60 days prior to the draft, and if they choose to withdraw and return to school, they must do that by 10 days after the NBA Draft Combine. The dates of the 2021 Combine and Draft have not been released.
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