No Indiana basketball players appear in 2023 NBA Mock Draft from ESPN

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony released his 2023 NBA Mock Draft and revealed the 58 names that will be called on June 22, 2023, which did not include any Indiana basketball players.

To be quite honest, I would not be shocked whatsoever if Trayce Jackson-Davis entered his name into the 2023 NBA Draft and went undrafted.

Why? Because he hasn’t shown major improvements year-by-year to where he’s actually improved dramatically to prove that he could compete against NBA players.

With no jump shot in sight and his finishing around the rim still spotty at times, Jackson-Davis as an undersized power forward in the NBA would likely get manhandled by frontcourt bench players night in and night out.

But if you’re telling me that there are 58 players both overseas and in college basketball that have more upside and NBA potential than Jalen Hood-Schifino, you have not watched the kid play in any of his 10 games so far.

Only five players since 2020-21 have averaged 10.0+ points, 4.0+ rebounds, and 4.0+ assists in their first 10 career college games: Justin Powell (Auburn 2020-21, currently plays for Washington State), Scottie Barnes (Florida State 2020-21, drafted fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2021), Sharife Cooper (Auburn 2020-21, drafted 48th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2021), Keyonte George (Baylor 2022-23, 11th overall to the Utah Jazz in Givony’s 2023 mock draft), and Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana 2022-23).

As of December 27, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has 17 freshmen selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Pertaining to the Big Ten, there are six Big Ten players in Givony’s 58 players selected, essentially saying that six players in the Big Ten are better than both Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino, now and potential. That’s insane.

The most frustrating part of this is that Zach Edey, Purdue’s big man, was thrown in at the end as the 58th and final overall selection.

If I had to project right now, my guess is that Trayce Jackson-Davis will go in the 50s or undrafted and Hood-Schifino will find himself battling as a first-round selection when all is said and done this season. Any team that passes up on Jalen Hood-Schifino will look back and kick themselves, this kid is going to be special.