Indiana Basketball: Jalen Hood-Schifino continues Hoosiers excellent offseason

When Mike Woodson became head coach of Indiana Basketball early this offseason, there was no telling how things were going to go for the program. Was it going to look like Minnesota where everyone left and have to start over? Or could it cause future recruits to pause and potentially look elsewhere?

That hasn’t been happening for the Hoosiers. First, star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis elected to return for another season instead of entering the NBA Draft or transferring out. Then, former Texas commit and five-star guard Tamar Bates joined for the upcoming season. And among three incoming transfers was most notable former Pittsburgh point guard Xavier Johnson, a likely starter for this upcoming season.

And now, Indiana takes away from the Panthers program yet again with the commitment of Jalen Hood-Schifino, a top-25 combo guard prospect who originally committed to the ACC program before being a free agent again. It was down to the Hoosiers and Tennessee Volunteers, two teams who both needed a point guard in the 2022 recruiting class.

Hood-Schifino is a 6’5 guard that is known for being an all-around talent. He’s primarily a point guard but can play off the ball as well and can defend most perimeter-oriented players. His size and physicality will be an asset, along with his passing and shooting consistency. He has five-star talent and will be an impact player in the Big Ten once he arrives on campus.

Hood-Schifino’s move now gives the Hoosiers the 5th-best recruiting class currently for 2022, joining top-150 commits CJ Gunn and Kaleb Banks. And considering the transfer success the coaching staff has had this offseason, don’t be surprised to see them continue to pick up quality talent going forward.

If there were any questions surrounding the process and eventual hire of Mike Woodson early on, the past few months should rain out the noise. We’ll have to see the on-the-court product once the season starts but right now, Indiana Basketball is in a tremendous space as a program in terms of stability and momentum. Opposing Big Ten programs need to get ready for what looks like the return of the Hoosiers as a national threat.