Indiana Basketball: Fact or Fiction for the 2019-20 season
2. Trayce Jackson-Davis wins B1G Freshman of the Year
Trayce Jackson-Davis comes into his freshman year as the top-ranked recruit in the Big Ten from the class of 2019. Archie Miller has emphasized several times that Jackson-Davis’ will have a huge role that will be crucial for the team’s success this season. If he doesn’t end up as the Big Ten freshman of the year, it won’t be due to a lack of opportunity.
The main competition for the award is Ohio State point guard DJ Carton and Michigan State point guard Rocket Watts.
While Watts may not get a lot of playing time with Cassius Winston and Joshua Langford, once he returns in January from his foot injury, he will get time early on. He has the potential to win the award even coming off the bench, which is where he will most likely be assuming Langford comes back healthy.
Carton, a former Indiana target, is well-positioned to succeed at Ohio State thanks to the talent of the Wesson brothers. There will be a lot less responsibility on his shoulders compared to Trayce Jackson-Davis which could really benefit him over the course of the season, making him a favorite for the award.
Time will tell how Jackson-Davis will handle his important role being thrown into the fire. He certainly doesn’t lack talent, but the high expectations placed on him could hinder his chances more than his competition. Despite all this, I still like him as the favorite for Big Ten Freshman of the Year, simply because he is the most talented out of all the choices, and I think he has the potential to make a much larger defensive impact than Carton and Watts.