Indiana Basketball: Jackson-Davis return makes Indiana a Big Ten contender

The Indiana basketball team got some good news on Sunday when Trayce Jackson-Davis made it official that he would return for his sophomore season.

In what was an unsurprising move, Trayce Jackson-Davis decided to return to Indiana for his sophomore season instead of entering the NBA draft waters. It was always a small possibility that he might find out his draft stock, but it was expected that he would return. He had a great year for the Hoosiers, but this is the best decision for him moving forward.

His return is huge for the Hoosiers. Without him, they would have been very thin in the frontcourt. He was their most productive player last year leading the team in points and rebounds per game and also in shooting percentage.

Jackson-Davis was also 30th in the country and fifth in the Big Ten in player efficiency. Trevion Williams from Purdue is the only conference player ranked ahead of him that is definitely returning. Luka Garza from Iowa led the country and he has declared for the draft but could still return.

We have already talked about the upheaval in the Big Ten and how the Hoosiers are trending up. Since then Damezi Anderson has decided to transfer and while he will be missed as he was a great teammate, he probably wasn’t going to be a big part of their offense. But having Jackson-Davis definitely return could make the Hoosiers a contender in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin returns a lot and should be good again, but they rely so much on the three-point shot that they could struggle at times. Michigan State will always be competitive with Tom Izzo as their head coach. Michigan has a good recruiting class coming in, but how will they mesh with the players still there, and will Isaiah Livers return?

The top of the Big Ten has a lot of questions marks, while IU should just be a year older and much better. They are also bringing in a great recruiting class, and are still waiting on a decision from Khristian Lander.

The recruiting class should be very good, but having Jackson-Davis back is the glue for this team. He meant so much to the Hoosiers this past year and should be an even bigger presence this year. He has to be on the shortlist of players capable of winning the Big Ten POY next year (as long as Luka Garza doesn’t return).

The Big Ten could be very good again next year, but almost every other team is losing their best player or two, while the Hoosiers just got the news their best was staying. Right there puts the Hoosiers in great shape in the Big Ten.

Are they a contender in the Big Ten? They still need to prove it, but with the return of Jackson-Davis, I think they are.