Indiana Basketball Hosting Second NBA Pro Day of Mike Woodson's Tenure
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Three simple yet impactful letters often come to mind when discussing Indiana coach Mike Woodson – NBA. Woodson is the only current college basketball head coach that has played in the NBA, was an NBA head coach and won an NBA Finals championship.
A new wrinkle he's introduced at Indiana is an NBA Pro Day. Scouts from all 30 teams will come to Bloomington, watch the Hoosiers practice and assess their professional potential.
Indiana held its first ever Pro Day last fall, and Woodson is continuing the tradition with the program's second Pro Day on Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Last year, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis became NBA Draft picks, and heading into the 2023-24 season, freshman Mackenzie Mgbako and sophomore Kel'el Ware are currently projected to be 2024 NBA Draft picks.
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson talks with Indiana Hoosiers forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) and guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (1) in the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Woodson's NBA pedigree, as well as introducing an NBA Pro Day, has undoubtedly helped Indiana on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. In addition to landing Mgbako and Ware this offseason, Indiana is currently in the running for class of 2024 five-star recruits Liam McNeeley, Boogie Fland and Derik Queen. High school recruits with NBA potential see Indiana as a path to the professional ranks because of Woodson's track record.
He played or coached in the league for nearly 40 years from 1980-2021, before returning to his alma mater to coach the Hoosiers. After averaging nearly 20 points per game across his four-year career at Indiana, Woodson became the No. 12 overall draft pick by the New York Knicks in the 1980 NBA Draft. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, scoring at least 12.9 points per game in eight of them.
Shortly after retiring, Woodson became an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1996. He held various assistant coaching roles, including winning the 2004 NBA Finals with the Pistons under head coach Larry Brown. That helped Woodson earn his first head coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks, a position he held until 2010. He was also the head coach for the New York Knicks from 2012-14, making two playoff appearances.
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