NCAA Basketball: Top 15 pending decisions for 2022 NBA Draft

Mar 24, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) hugs Arkansas Razorbacks forward Jaylin Williams (10) after the game in the semifinals of the West regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament at Chase Center. The Arkansas Razorbacks won 74-68. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

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NBA Draft NCAA Basketball Indiana Hoosiers forward Trayce Jackson-Davis Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Trayce Jackson-Davis – Indiana Hoosiers

2021-22 stats: 18.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.3 bpg

The 6’9 big man saw his offensive numbers dip a bit compared to the previous year but Jackson-Davis not only became a better two-way player that led Indiana in more wins but also improved his NBA Draft stock in the eyes of analysts.

Jackson-Davis saw his percentages jump from 52 to 59% while scoring one fewer point on one fewer shot attempt compared to last season. But the area where the junior improved most was on defense, blocking 81 shots, compared to 97 in the first two years total. His one-on-one defense improved and he became a real rim protector.

That’s important because at 6’9 and 245 pounds, Jackson-Davis is a bit of a tweener, playing mostly at the five-spot in college and being interchangeable with fellow starting forward Race Thompson. He’s a skilled enough scorer to where his offense should translate but the big man is not the most athletic player and that would show at the next level.

Jackson-Davis is a projected 2nd-round NBA Draft pick and the Hoosiers barely made the NCAA Tournament with him this past season. But if he does leave, they do have Thompson coming back for one more year, along with incoming five-star freshman forward Malik Reneau, a former Florida commit. But he’s not a proven product like Jackson-Davis so losing him would be a big blow to the team.

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