Jackson-Davis Continues Impressive Start to Freshman Campaign

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis turned in another monster day in his young career, then he vanished.

Jackson-Davis scored 19 points to go along with 14 rebounds to post the fourth double-double of his young college career to help the Hoosiers to a 64-50 win over South Dakota State in the final game of the Indiana Challenge. He was named the MVP or the event after averaging 17.0 points in 11.8 rebounds in the four-game series, but when it was time for the players to meet with the media, Jackson-Davis was nowhere to be found.

It wasn't a surprise. Jackson-Davis has been everything to everybody so far this season, but after wrapping up a win over the Jackrabbits, Jackson-Davis had more pressing things on his mind than meeting with the media.

He had to support his family.

See, his brother was playing in the football Class 6A title game in Indianapolis, and he wanted to be in the stands to root his brother on. So, before the game, it was made clear to everyone that Trayce was going to play the game then head north.

But he was with the Hoosiers when it counted. His quickness off the floor allowed him to dominate in the paint, and his long arms allowed him to get to balls that others could only dream of reaching.

"He's just a natural," head coach Archie Miller said. "He has great hands and length. He's a spring off the boards in terms of being able to get to the ball. That's obviously a gift he brings to the table. He continues to do that for us, which is important. Rebounding the ball is a huge deal for this team. Nine offensive rebounds are something else."

Jackson-Davis' 14 boards tied a career high, as did his four blocked shots. He played nearly 31 minutes and made 9-of-17 shots from the field, and he posted a plus-19 for the game, the highest for anyone in the game.

Jackson-Davis enjoyed a stellar November, closing out the first month of his college career averaging a team-high 15.6 points, a team-high 9.6 rebounds, and leading the team by making 66.1 percent of his shots. He's smooth on the floor, and he is giving the Hoosiers a presence they've missed in recent years.

"I think it's just mentality," said senior guard Devonte Green. "Keeping an aggressive mentality on the boards and around the paint. I mean, he's such a good athlete that he has that advantage of getting boards over guys. He has always been a good rebounder."

Jackson-Davis will face a tougher test in the coming weeks. Games against Florida State, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Arkansas are on the schedule before New Year's Day, so he will face a baptism by fire as the level of competition takes a step forward. But if he can make the adjustment to the higher level as smoothly as he did when it jumped from high school to college, the Hoosiers will be thrilled.

"Trayce was dominant on the glass tonight," Miller said. "He went up and got five or six balls that nobody else can get. In and around the basket, continuing to find different ways for him to be effective is a big deal."

As a team, the Hoosiers like their balance. From the top of the roster to the bottom, Indiana can hurt teams in a lot of ways.

"Our depth and being able to play 1-through-11 create some matchup problems," forward Justin Smith said. "(We) kind of use our versatility to our strength."

But Jackson-Davis can be a difference maker. The former McDonald's All-American not only is a presence on the glass, on defense, and in transition, he's also enjoying a parade to the free-throw line. He already has attempted 46 free throws on the year, tops in the Big Ten, and he is making 76.1 percent of them.

Leading rebounder. Leading scorer. Getting to the line. Converting shots from the charity stripe and the floor overall. Leading the team in blocks. And turning the ball over less than once a game.

Even supporting his family members.

Trayce Jackson-Davis is proving that sometimes you can do it all.

Indiana University Athletics

Jackson-Davis Continues Impressive Start to Freshman Campaign

Related News

Players Mentioned

Devonte Green

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Justin Smith

Related Videos