Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana men’s basketball’s All-American senior forward, declared for the NBA Draft on Tuesday, officially bringing a close to his legendary Indiana career.
Jackson-Davis will forego his extra year of COVID-19 eligibility, instead choosing to go pro.
“Indiana, I appreciate the life lessons and every experience this beautiful University has taught me,” Jackson-Davis said in a Twitter post. “From the people, places, and basketball it has truly been a pleasure to wear the cream and crimson.”
Upon finishing his career, Jackson-Davis is a top-three player among several Indiana program records. He is the program leader in rebounds with 1,143 and in blocks with 270. His 2,258 career points are third all-time, as are his 50 career double-doubles.
Jackson-Davis capped his career against the University of Miami in the NCAA Tournament round of 32 on March 19, when he put up 23 points, eight rebounds and five blocks as the Hoosiers fell short, 85-69.
“It's really special to me to have the Indiana fans on your back and just cheering for you and giving them hope,” Jackson-Davis said after the loss. “It's something that this program hasn't had in a while. It was really cool to be part of that and be part of that experience.”
Jackson-Davis joined Indiana as a freshman in 2019, earning a spot on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. In his junior season, he averaged 18.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, helping lead the Hoosiers back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. He was named the Big Ten Player of the Week five times in the season and eight times in his career, both Indiana records.
In his senior season, Jackson-Davis' stats increased across the board. He set career highs with 20.9 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game, four assists per game and 2.9 blocks per game.
He was named a consensus First-Team All-American, the Karl Malone Award winner and has been named a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, given out to college basketball’s best player.
As of the latest projections, Jackson-Davis is expected to be drafted late in the first round or early in the second round.
