Mike Woodson Confident in NBA Potential of Indiana's Hood-Schifino, Jackson-Davis

Following his second season at Indiana, coach Mike Woodson sent two players to the 2023 NBA Draft. The Los Angeles Lakers took Jalen Hood-Schifino at No. 17, and the Golden State Warriors traded for Jackson-Davis at No. 57. Woodson envisions a bright future for both.

The 2023 NBA Draft was emblematic of Mike Woodson's first two years at Indiana.

When Woodson arrived to coach his alma mater, his first task was convincing Trayce Jackson-Davis to not only stay at Indiana, but that he could develop the 6-foot-9 forward in to an NBA talent. 

Jackson-Davis trusted Woodson's NBA background, and two years later, he was named a consensus first-team All-American. 

“It is scary how far Trayce Jackson-Davis has com," Woodson said. "The things I have shown him, he’s done. He rebounded the ball, he had high assists, he had blocks, he had big nights scoring the ball, rebounding the ball. There is nothing he cannot do."

On Thursday, the Golden State Warriors saw Jackson-Davis fall further than expected, then traded for the No. 57 pick to select him. Jackson-Davis isn't without flaws as an NBA prospect, but Woodson sees a bright future for Indiana's all-time leader in rebonds and blocked shots. 

"He has been questioned about his jump shot," Woodson said. "But I think this summer he has been proving people wrong there in the camps that he’s attended, where he had to work and show these general managers and presidents of these teams, these scouts, that he can shoot the basketball. So, again, the sky is the limit for him. He is ready for the NBA because he is so athletic and can do a lot of things. He can get up and down the floor and finish around the rim. Golden State got a hell of a player.”

Jackson-Davis is headed to the Bay Area, where he'll team up with four-time NBA champion Steph Curry and the Warriors. He'll also be close to his Indiana teammate, Jalen Hood-Schifino.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Hood-Schifino with the No. 17 overall pick, officially giving Indiana its first one-and-done NBA prospect since Romeo Langford in 2019. It was also an important benchmark for Woodson, who, in two years, has raised Indiana's national profile as a destination for NBA talent.

Hood-Schifino was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in his lone season at Indiana, and Woodson has noticed his NBA potential all along. 

“His ceiling is very high," Woodson said. "When I recruited him, I thought he had all the pro tendencies. When he came in here, he did everything so professionally, on and off the court, that you knew he had an opportunity to play at the next level. I thought the process was sped up because we did a lot of things to help him from an NBA standpoint. And he excelled. We kind of threw him to the wolves after Xavier Johnson got hurt and he never let us down. He did a lot of wonderful things during that time that has put him in this position."

Hood-Schifino will now play alongside NBA legend LeBron James and eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis. The Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals last year, but need improved guard play and 3-point shooting. Hood-Schifino will have the opportunity to provide just that.

"I think the sky is the limit for him," Woodson said. "Los Angeles Lakers got a solid player on and off the floor that’s going to work his tail off. That’s all you can ask from a rookie coming in. He’ll learn the NBA and we’ll be talking about him probably 10 years down the road because he’ll have a solid career in the NBA.”

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• PACERS EXPLAIN PASSING ON TJD: The Indiana Pacers had multiple opportunities to draft former Indiana Hoosier Trayce Jackson-Davis, but Pacers GM Chad Buchanan said both sides felt the fit was not right. CLICK HERE
• TJD'S DRAFT SLOT IRRELEVANT NOW: Trayce Jackson-Davis had to wait a long time to hear his name called in the 2023 NBA Draft Thursday night, but this morning that doesn't matter at all. He's got a good fit in Golden State, and it's up to him to prove he can help them win games — and titles — right away. CLICK HERE
• JACKSON-DAVIS FALLS TO WARRIORS: After a first-team All-American senior season at Indiana, Trayce Jackson-Davis will play alongside Steph Curry next season. The Washington Wizards selected Jackson-Davis with the No. 57 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, then traded his draft rights to the Warriors. CLICK HERE
• STEPHEN A. SMITH COMMENTS ON HOOD-SCHIFINO: ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith sees promise in Jalen Hood-Schifino joining LeBron James in Los Angeles, but said he'll need to shoot 3-pointers at a high level in order to help the Lakers. CLICK HERE
• LAKERS PICK HOOD-SCHIFINO: After winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Indiana, Jalen Hood-Schifino was taken with the No. 17 pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. CLICK HERE