Observing Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Zach Edey

February 26^th, 2023

By Alan Lu

Indiana’s 6-6 freshman guard, Jalen Hood-Schifino has seen his draft stock rise recently, and he is an agile, skilled playmaker that can shoot and score the basketball.  He’s also teammates with one of the most productive players in basketball in Trayce Jackson-Davis.  Yesterday, they teamed up to lead Indiana to play against 7-4 junior center, Zach Edey and Purdue in a very competitive, Big Ten college basketball game.  It went back and forth as both teams traded leads, but Hood-Schifino had a dominant showing to help lead Indiana to get the win, and they also received a strong second half performance from Jackson-Davis.  Here are my thoughts on how Jalen Hood-Schifino and other various prospects fared in this game.

Indiana’s 6-6 freshman guard, Jalen Hood-Schifino had a tremendous showing in his team’s win over Purdue.  He did a terrific job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he is a talented playmaker that really excelled at making shots on offense. Hood-Schifino did a very good job of knocking down mid-range jumpers in this game.  He is a smart, patient player that would dribble into the open areas of the floor, and he showed a knack for scoring on floaters and pull-up, mid-range jumpers, as he would take advantage of making shots against Purdue’s drop cover defense.  He was superb at making shots, especially from mid-range, and my assessment is that Hood-Schifino might be one of the best mid-range shooters in college basketball.

He is an agile, shifty player that can change speeds to throw off his defenders’ timing, and he also can dribble either way when handling the ball off of a screen.  Hood-Schifino also has good balance and body control that would enable him to draw many free throws when pulling up from mid-range, and he also has a crafty pump fake that he would use to get defenders up in the air.  He also was able to utilize a clever, stutter step, hesitation move to score on an aggressive drive to the hoop, and Hood-Schifino was very good as a scorer off the dribble.  He didn’t take many three-pointers, but he was able to make a quick, open spot-up three off the catch.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills.  Hood-Schifino was able to get the ball to open shooters, and he can make long, accurate passes off the dribble to get them the basketball.  He has solid court vision, and he can make an assortment of passes to find his teammates on the move.  Sometimes though, he would over-dribble and tend to go to his left a bit too much, and he ended up committing a couple of ball-handling turnovers.  While he does play quickly when handling the ball in the open court, sometimes he would dribble around for too long when handling the ball in a half-court set, and there was one instance where it led his team to commit a shot clock violation.

Also, Hood-Schifino showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball, and he would tend to push the ball up the court after getting defensive boards.  Defensively, he looked to be fairly average.  For the positives, he would play passing lanes, and he was able to help his team get steals and deflections.  He also will apply pressure to crowd opposing ball handlers.  On the other hand, he would tend to be caught ball watching, as he would over-help and wander too far away from his man and lose track of shooters or cutters, which would lead his team to commit fouls and allow scores.  Another time, he committed a reach-in foul due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Jalen Hood-Schifino played very well, and he scored 35 points in his team’s win over Purdue.  He’s not the flashiest player, but he managed to score that many points in a rather old school fashion, which was by scoring off the dribble, and by taking and making a lot of mid-range jumpers.  Hood-Schifino is a crafty, skilled offensive player that has been moving up draft boards lately, and he could end up being a solid pick for an NBA team if he’s available for them to select in the mid to late first round range of the 2023 draft.

Trayce Jackson-Davis had a satisfactory showing in his team’s win over Purdue.  After struggling in the first half, Jackson-Davis was really able to find his stride and get going, and he operated as a secondary playmaker and seemed to fare much better when looking to face up rather than play with his back to the basket.

Jackson-Davis generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  He would score on rolls to the rim, put backs, and on fast breaks, and in the second half, he would slip screens to score around the basket.  He was able to slip the screen to get the ball on a dribble handoff, which enabled him to score on an acrobatic, reverse layup.  Sometimes though, he would rush his moves, which would lead to some misses.  Jackson-Davis was able to use a shoulder fake to score on a left-handed, jump hook.  However, he had some trouble scoring over taller Purdue defenders, especially in the first half, and he had some bad misses early on.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills in this game.  Jackson-Davis showed a knack for making good passes both off the dribble and out of the post, and he has good court vision that allowed him to get many assists.  He can swiftly find teammates on the move, and he also was able to pass out of a double team when posting up to find an open corner shooter.  He also threw a timely no-look pass while doubled in the backcourt to get a late game assist.  He also set solid screens to help his teammates get open mid-range shots to create scoring chances for them.  He did commit a couple of careless turnovers, but Jackson-Davis’ passing and screen-setting more than offset that, as he excelled at making a variety of good passes, especially in the second half.

Plus, he also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  Sometimes, Jackson-Davis would bring the ball up after getting defensive boards.  Plus, Jackson-Davis played decent defense in this game.  He did a good job of blocking and altering shots due to possessing good timing, and he would actively contest shots when defending in the post and off the dribble to force misses.  He generally was able to stay in front of his man when defending out on the perimeter to get stops.  However, Jackson-Davis especially struggled to defend in the first half, and he had trouble defending the much bigger and stronger Zach Edey, as he would get outmuscled and over-powered, which would cause him to commit fouls and allow scores down low.

In summary, Trayce Jackson-Davis played well in his team’s win over Purdue.  He got off to a slow start in the first half, but he was really able to get going in the second half, as he thrived by making good passes, and by being able to make good plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the victory.  He will need to continue to extend his shooting range and work on his jump shot, and he’ll need to improve his low post defense, but his ability to score and create shots for himself and others could enable him to be a good find for an NBA team, especially in the second round range of the 2023 draft.

Purdue’s 7-4 junior center, Zach Edey put forth a solid performance in his team’s loss to Indiana.  Individually, he put on a strong performance, as he scored 26 points and had 16 rebounds in this game.  But from a team perspective, he and his team could’ve defended much better, and they had a lot of defensive breakdowns, as they allowed their opponents (namely Hood-Schifino) to score on a lot of mid-range jumpers.

Edey showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  He really excelled at scoring and drawing free throws on put backs off of offensive rebounds, and he was able to score on a strong put back dunk once.  He also managed to draw free throws on a roll to the rim.  He has great size and strength, which can enable him to finish numerous plays around the basket.

He also did a decent job of scoring in the post.  Edey looked to score out of the post quite often, and he would often get deep position and outmuscle his opponents, which would enable him to score on jump hooks and drop steps moves.  Sometimes though, he wouldn’t get enough touch on his shot and he would sometimes set up from too far away, which would lead him to miss on his jump hooks.  He also was able to get a scoring chance in transition, but missed clumsily due to not having great footwork or balance that time.

Also, Edey showcased satisfactory playmaking skills.  He generally did a good job of passing out of double teams in the post, and he can find open shooters and cutters to set up scores for his teammates.  Sometime though, he would make careless decisions out of the post, which led to a couple of turnovers.  He was doubled in the post once, and he threw a rash, errant skip pass that ended up getting intercepted.  On another play, he was called for clearing out with his right arm when posting up that led him to commit an offensive foul and a turnover on that instance.

In addition, Edey also did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball.  He has great size and ball location skills, which would often able him to haul in boards in this game.  Defensively, he looked to be about average at best.  For the positives, he generally excelled at defending when opponents would take shots in the paint area.  Edey managed to block a put back due to possessing solid length and timing. He also would be in position to contest shots off of drives and in the post to force misses, and he has very good size and strength that enables him to hold position when defending on the block.  On the downside, he often would sag too far, partially due to his team’s drop coverage, and he would often give up too much space and allow opposing ball handlers to score on mid-range jumpers.  He also would be slow to rotate and would struggle to defend out in space, which would cause him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Zach Edey had a very good individual performance, but he and his team’s lackluster defensive play showed in their loss to Indiana.  Edey will need to improve his ability to guard quicker players, and he will need to improve his mobility in the meantime.  Currently, he is still having a very good junior season.  He’ll need to make adjustments to fit the modern NBA game in the future, but his strong production in spite of that may make him a second round prospect for the 2023 draft.

Indiana’s 6-7 senior forward, Miller Kopp is an offensively skilled, swingman that excelled as a floor spacer in his team’s win over Purdue.  He did a great job of knocking down open, spot-up threes, especially from the corners.  He also ran the floor and dribbled to score on a fast break in traffic.  Kopp also pulled up to knock down a mid-range jumper another time.

Kopp also passed the ball well, and he would swing the ball to find open shooters to set up scoring chances for them.  He didn’t grab many rebounds, but he was able to get a pair of defensive boards in this game.  Defensively, he looked to be fairly average.  Kopp would contest shots both out on the perimeter as well as in the paint to get stops for his team.  He also managed to deflect a pass out of bounds another time.  On the downside, he would struggle to defend opponents off the dribble, which would lead him and his team to commit fouls.  Sometimes, he would play too aggressively, as he was called for a hand-checking foul when defending an opposing ball handler, and he also doubled in the post unnecessarily that led his team to give up an open, three-point basket to an opponent.

Overall, Kopp is a tall, sharpshooting forward that can knock down jumpers to provide floor spacing for his team on offense.  He will need to be more assertive on offense, but his ability to knock down outside shots could allow him to project into a shooting specialist role for the NBA.

Purdue’s sophomore big man, Caleb Furst had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Indiana.  He had a solid first half showing, and he didn’t seem to play nearly enough in the second half when his team started to lose their grasp on the lead and on their control of the game.

Furst showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  He did a good job of scoring on fast breaks and on broken plays, and he was able to run the floor to score on a powerful jam on the break.  He didn’t make any of his threes, as he especially struggled to knock down open, corner threes, though, and he didn’t shoot nearly as well from the outside.

He didn’t rebound the ball very well in this game, though.  Furst defended very well in limited minutes, and he would rotate to contest and block shots to help his team protect the paint.  He was able to run in to get his hands on a pass to get an early steal.  He also has good size and strength to hold position when defending in the post, which enabled him to force an air ball miss in the early going.

Overall, Caleb Furst put forth a satisfactory performance in his team’s loss to Indiana.  Though he didn’t grab nearly enough rebounds, he excelled as an interior scorer and defender in this game.  He is a mobile, skilled big man that can make hustle plays on both ends of the floor, and he is an energetic, high-motor player that just might be Purdue’s second-best prospect (behind Edey) for the NBA draft.

Indiana’s 6-4 junior guard, Trey Galloway also played well in his team’s win over Purdue.  He did a great job of knocking down open, spot-up threes, and he also thrived at scoring on aggressive drives on the break.  He was able to run the floor and dribble up to score on a quick dunk on the break.  He struggled to consistently score on mid-range runners when driving hard to the hoop, but generally, Galloway did a good job of making shots and spacing the floor for his team.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills in this game.  He generally made sound passes, and he is a quick decision maker that can both pass on the move and also find teammates on the move to set up numerous scores for them.  Galloway made smart decisions within the confines of his team’s system, and he did a very good job of consistently finding the open man to get his teammates the ball.  Galloway did a very good job of passing and taking care of the basketball.

Also, Galloway was able to get his fair share of boards to help his team out on the glass.  He also played satisfactory defense in this game.  Galloway did a great job of intercepting passes to get steals, and he also managed to chase down a loose ball to get another steal.  He would contest threes to force misses, and showed good recovery speed and made a good close out to do so once.  He also was able to cut off penetration when defending a drive in transition to get a stop due to possessing a solid blend of motor, positioning, and instincts.  On the downside, he would sometimes get beat off the dribble, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.  Other times, he would lose focus and take his eye off his man, which would lead him to wind up out of position defensively. 

Overall, Trey Galloway played very well, and he especially excelled as a shooter and facilitator to help his team win the game.  He may not have gaudy stats on the season, but he is an agile, high-motor guard that made winning plays on the floor, and he is a gritty playmaker that could end up making his way to the NBA someday.

Purdue’s 6-5 junior guard, Brandon Newman quietly played well in his team’s loss to Indiana.  He excelled as a shooter and defender, and he is an athletic, energetic player that may just be the most athletic player on Purdue’s team. Newman shot the ball well, especially from downtown.  He can dribble with either and, and he was able to pull up to knock down a pair of dribble, three-point shots.  He also was able to run in to draw free throws on a tip slam attempt off of an offensive rebound due to possessing a good motor.  He didn’t seem to make many noteworthy passes, but on one play, he threw an errant pass that slipped out of hands before getting intercepted by a defender.

He did a satisfactory job of rebounding the basketball, and Newman especially was active at crashing the offensive glass.  Newman also played solid defense in this game.  He is an aggressive, feisty defender that will apply heavy ball pressure.  Newman showed a knack for swiping balls away to get steals.  He also dove for a loose ball on the ground to get another.  He also made a concentrated effort to contest shots, and he did a very good job of not giving up on plays, as he would contest mid-range shots to get stops for his team.  He also defended an opposing ball handler hard and cut off penetration to help force a shot clock violation.  On the downside, he would sometimes play too aggressively, but his timing would sometimes be off, which would lead him to be late when he would try to make plays defensively.

Overall, Brandon Newman played well in his team’s loss to Indiana, and he is an athletic, high-motor swingman that thrived in making plays on both ends of the court.  He hasn’t quite shot the ball nearly as well on the season so he’ll need to be a more consistent outside shooter, and he’ll need to show NBA scouts and teams that he can be a knockdown, three-point shooter off the catch, but Newman is a talented prospect that could project into a 3 and D type of role at the NBA level.

Purdue’s freshman guard, Braden Smith has played very well on the season, but he didn’t shoot the ball very well in this game in his team’s loss to Indiana.  He especially struggled to score in traffic, and he was unable to knock down any of his outside shots.  He did manage to score on a running layup off of an aggressive drive, as well as on a quick put back off of an offensive rebound, but generally Smith had trouble making shots in this game, as he had trouble matching up to Indiana’s size, length, and athleticism.

Smith did showcase satisfactory playmaking skills.  He has good court vision, and he showed that he can make an assortment of passes to notch assists.  He even threw a nifty, no-look pass to find a corner shooter to set up a score for his teammate on one play.  He did commit a couple of turnovers, though.  He telegraphed a pass that got intercepted.  He also dribbled clumsily off his foot and lost the ball another time.

Also, Smith did a great job of rebounding the basketball.  Defensively, he struggled in this game.  On one good play, he ran in to get a dropped pass to get a steal.  On the downside, he tended to get beat off the dribble and off cuts, which would lead him to wind up out of position, and it would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Smith didn’t play very well, and he struggled to make plays consistently on either end of the floor.  That said, he still was able to make some impressive passes due to possessing good court sense.  He’ll need to show that he can match up to longer and more athletic opponents.  Even if he can’t, he has been very productive this year, and he could end up carving out a long playing career in professional basketball.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Jalen Hood-Schifino and other various prospects played in yesterday’s Indiana-Purdue basketball game.  Thanks for reading.