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On Saturday, Indiana junior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis declared for the NBA draft, while maintaining his eligibility. If he has played his last game for Indiana, then he’ll leave Bloomington as one of the program’s top 15 scorers of all-time, plus as a top-10 rebounder and shot-blocker. If he elects to return to school for his senior season, then he’ll likely finish his college career as Indiana’s leader in career blocked shots and he’ll have a good chance to finish third all-time in both career points and rebounds.
Here’s a closer look at where Jackson-Davis currently ranks in those statistical categories and where he could potentially rank this time next year, if he returns to school.
Career scoring
Jackson-Davis currently ranks 15th on Indiana’s all-time scoring list with 1,588 points through three seasons, just two points behind Greg Graham and five behind Scott May. If Jackson-Davis returns for his senior season, he will likely move to 13th on the list by halftime of the Hoosiers’ season-opener in November.
It’s realistic to think that Jackson-Davis could finish as the program’s third-leading scorer all-time if he spends a fourth season in Bloomington. Even though his scoring average dipped slightly from his sophomore to junior season, from 19.1 points per game to 18.3, you can probably pencil him in for at least 18 points per game if he returns. Depending on what Indiana’s roster ultimately looks like next season, that estimate could change some.
If we’re conservative in our estimates and say that Jackson-Davis averages 18 points per game, plays every game next season and that the Hoosiers only play one game in the Big Ten tournament and one game in whatever postseason tournament for which they qualify — so, 32 games in total — then that’s another 576 points to his career total, which would bring it to 2,164 points, which would rank fourth all-time, right behind Don Schlundt and ahead of A.J. Guyton.
Now, if Jackson-Davis averages 20 or more points per game, or if Indiana plays multiple games in both the Big Ten tournament and another postseason tournament, he could crack the 600-point mark like he did last season, when he scored 639 points, which ranks 13th in school history for points in a season. He needs 605 to pass Schlundt, which would only put him behind Calbert Cheaney and Steve Alford on Indiana’s all-time scoring list.
Jackson-Davis has been the team’s leading scorer in each of the last three seasons. Cheaney, Alford and Schlundt are the only players in program history to lead the team in scoring four years in a row.
If Jackson-Davis returns for his senior year and continues scoring at the rate outlined above, he’d likely pass his coach, Mike Woodson, for fifth on the list sometime in late February.
Here’s what the top 15 looks like after the 2022 season:
- Calbert Cheaney: 2,613 points
- Steve Alford: 2,438 points
- Don Schlundt: 2,192 points
- A.J. Guyton: 2,100 points
- Mike Woodson: 2,061 points
- Yogi Ferrell: 1,986 points
- Alan Henderson: 1,979 points
- Damon Bailey: 1,741 points
- Kent Benson: 1,740 points
- Christian Watford: 1,730 points
- Eric Anderson: 1.715 points
- Brian Evans: 1,701 points
- Scott May: 1,593 points
- Greg Graham: 1,590 points
- Trayce Jackson-Davis: 1,588 points
Career rebounding
After grabbing 284 rebounds last season, the 21st-most in a season in program history, Jackson-Davis now has 797 for his career, which ranks ninth all-time, just ahead of Christian Watford. Jackson-Davis has averaged roughly 266 rebounds per season in his career so if we projected a 266-rebound season for him next season if he returns, then he’d finish his career with 1,063 boards. That would also rank third all-time, behind only Alan Henderson (1,091 rebounds) and Walt Bellamy (1,087). First place would not be out of the question, either.
Kent Benson is the only other Hoosier with at least 1,000 rebounds in his college career.
Here’s the top 10 in school history in career rebounds.
- Alan Henderson: 1,091 rebounds
- Walt Bellamy: 1,087 rebounds
- Kent Benson: 1,031 rebounds
- Archie Dees: 914 rebounds
- Steve Downing: 889 rebounds
- Ray Tolbert: 874 rebounds
- Don Schlundt: 860 rebounds
- Eric Anderson: 826 rebounds
- Trayce Jackson-Davis: 797 rebounds
- Christian Watford: 776 rebounds
Career blocked shots
With Jackson-Davis’ 81 blocks as a junior — he only had 38 as a sophomore, for reference — he now has 178 for his career, which ranks seventh in program history. If he had another 80-block season, not only would he rank first in school history in career blocks but he would have a considerable buffer between him and anyone else who has worn the Hoosiers’ uniform.
Here’s the current top 10 in program history:
- Jeff Newton: 227 blocks
- Alan Henderson: 213 blocks
- D.J. White: 198 blocks
- Uwe Blab: 196 blocks
- George Leach: 194 blocks
- Dean Garrett: 192 blocks
- Trayce Jackson-Davis: 178 blocks
- Ray Tolbert: 155 blocks
- Juwan Morgan: 138 blocks
- Eric Anderson: 136 blocks
The final word
Historically speaking, success at Indiana has been measured in national championships, Final Four appearances and Big Ten regular-season championships. None of Jackson-Davis’ teams have accomplished any of those feats or come particularly close. But there’s no question that him spending a senior season in Bloomington and him remaining healthy and maintaining his junior-year productivity would likely result in him leaving school as the program’s leader in career blocks, while ranking first, second or third in career rebounds and third or fourth in career points.
If he’s able to win Big Ten Player of the Year honors or receive a first-team All-American nod, that would further cement his legacy as one of the school’s great individual talents. Jackson-Davis helped usher in the Mike Woodson era and end the program’s NCAA tournament drought so he’s been a stabilizing presence, even when Indiana was never guaranteed to have him for a third season. If the Hoosiers get him back for a fourth, then he’ll almost assuredly leave as a statistical giant. If he or his team is able to win some sort of hardware and have a season that ends in late March, rather than mid-March, then he’ll be remembered as something even greater.
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