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In the months leading up to the 2021-’22 college basketball season, BTPowerhouse will be releasing a series called the ‘BTPowerhouse 25,’ which features the Top 25 players in the Big Ten as voted by members of the staff. All players set to be on Big Ten rosters for next season were eligible during the staff vote with their top selection receiving 25 points and their 25th and final selection receiving 1 point.
Today's edition will take a brief look at Trayce Jackson-Davis of the Indiana Hoosiers, who came in at No. 2 in the rankings. The Hoosiers are hoping to make some noise in Mike Woodson’s first year at the helm this season.
'BTPowerhouse 25' - No. 2 Trayce Jackson-Davis:
- Eligibility: Redshirt Sophomore
- Career Totals: 59 games, 1,864 minutes, 949 points, 513 rebounds, 76 assists, 42 steals
- 2020-’21 Averages: 34.3 MPG, 19.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.7 SPG
- Positional Role: Power Forward/Center
We may know little about what to expect in Woodson’s first year as a college head coach, but we do know the team will run through Jackson-Davis. He’s one of the best players in the league and will certainly lead the Hoosiers this season.
-Player Strengths
Jackson-Davis is an incredibly gifted player, standing at 6-foot-9 and having the athleticism to run the floor and play above the rim. He’s a scoring and rebounding machine, leading Indiana in both categories last season and finishing in the top 10 in defensive rebounding rate in the Big Ten last season.
Additionally, he does many of the little things fans like to see. He stays on the floor, blocks shots, and draws a ton of fouls. In fact, he finished in the top five in the Big Ten in percentage of minutes played and fouls drawn. He’s about everything you could ask for in a player at the college level.
-Areas for Improvement
There really aren’t many holes in Jackson-Davis’ game. That might sound simplistic, but there’s a reason he enters this season among many All-Big Ten lists. He’s one of the best players in the league and nation. Any criticism is simply nitpicking.
With that said, if Jackson-Davis is going to elevate his game further, it’s going to have to come with his consistency. He faded during a lot of games last season, often when others around him were missing shots and making mistakes. If this team is going to elevate, it needs him to play his best, even when others are struggling.
-Player Projection
It’s hard to know what to expect out of Indiana this season. The Hoosiers have a decent roster and a star in Jackson-Davis. However, the uncertainty surrounding Woodson and the team’s perimeter shooting remain concerning. Expect Jackson-Davis to push for All-Big Ten first team and Player of the Year, if things go well around him.
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'BTPowerhouse 25' Rankings:
- #26-27 - Players That Just Missed The Cut
- #25 - Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
- #24 - Donta Scott (Maryland)
- #22 - Justice Sueing (Ohio State)
- #22 - Max Christie (Michigan State)
- #20 - Miller Kopp (Indiana)
- #20 - Connor McCaffery (Iowa)
- #19 - Zach Edey (Purdue)
- #18 - Tyson Walker (Michigan State)
- #17 - Eli Brooks (Michigan)
- #16 - Keegan Murray (Iowa)
- #14 - Kyle Young (Ohio State)
- #14 - Andre Curbelo (Illinois)
- #12 - Caleb Houstan (Michigan)
- #12 - Trent Frazier (Illinois)
- #11 - Ron Harper (Rutgers)
- #10 - DeVante’ Jones (Michigan)
- #9 - Eric Ayala (Maryland)
- #8 - Geo Baker (Rutgers)
- #7 - Jordan Bohannon (Iowa)
- #6 - Trevion Williams (Purdue)
- #5 - Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
- #4 - EJ Liddell (Ohio State)
- #3 - Hunter Dickinson (Michigan)
- #2 - Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
- #1 - To Be Continued ...