NCAA's Andy Katz Lists Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis Among Top 5 Returning Players
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis is looking forward to a huge junior season under new coach Mike Woodson, and Andy Katz from the NCAA March Madness podcast is expecting big things, too.
Jackson-Davis made Katz's list of the top-five returning players in America this season, checking in at No. 5. Johnny Juzang of UCLA is ranked No. 1, and Drew Timme of Gonzaga is second. Two other Big Ten players fill the next spots, with Kofi Cockburn of Illinois No. 3 and Hunter Dickinson of Michigan No. 4.
Katz's 30-minute podcast ranked the top-25 players coming back this season.
"He came back to play for Mike Woodson, and he could be the Big Ten player of the year. He is a big-time player in Bloomington,'' Katz said in the podcast.
Katz gets to his top-five in the 23-minute mark of the podcast, and then he had an interview will Cockburn to end the show. They talked about his return to Illinois after pondering the NBA draft and even transferring. He entered the transfer portal before deciding to stay at Illinois.
"We've got a lot of depth, and we have a really deep team. That's going to be a big factor for us. Losing (to Loyola in the first round) last year will stick with me forever, at least until I win a national championship.''
Jackson-Davis led the Hoosiers in both scoring (19.1) and rebounding (9.0) during his sophomore campaign a year ago. He averaged 13.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as a freshman.
Some thought he might turn pro after coach Archie Miller was fired, but Woodson convinced him to stay, saying that all of his years of NBA experience would help Jackson-Davis be better prepared for the next level.
The left-hander from Greenwood, Ind. tweeted over the weekend that he can't wait to get started.
Indiana's basketball media day is on Monday, and Hoosier Hysteria takes place on Saturday, Oct. 2. The event will start at 4 p.m. ET.
Indiana's first game is on Tuesday, Nov. 9 against Eastern Michigan at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
To listen to Katz's complete podcast, CLICK HERE
Related stories on Indiana basketball
- HOOSIER HYSTERIA: The start time is now set for Hoosier Hysteria on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. It's the rollout for the season for Indiana's men's and women's basketball teams. CLICK HERE
- HOOPS TICKETS: Indiana announced a six-game ticket package for the men's basketball schedule on Tuedsay. The games cover the holiday window when students are not in session. The package does include a Big Ten game with Ohio State. CLICK HERE
