Trayce Jackson-Davis is a 6’9” Senior from Greenwood, Indiana. The son of an accomplished NBA forward, Jackson-Davis looks to make an impact right away for whichever team selects him in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Trayce Jackson-Davis 2023 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
A four-star recruit out of Center Grove High in Greenwood, Indiana, Jackson-Davis committed to Indiana after being recruited by multiple Big Ten Schools. He was a McDonald’s All-American and Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in 2019.
Jackson-Davis’ college career is full of accolades. In his rookie year, the forward earned Big Ten All-Freshman and Third Team All-Big Ten honors. As a sophomore, Jackson-Davis averaged 19.1 points and nine rebounds per game. The Sporting News named him a Third-team All-American, while the Big Ten Coaches and Media named him to the Second and First teams, respectively. In his junior year, Jackson-Davis became the first Hoosier in almost three decades to score more than 40 points in a game when he dropped 43 on Marshall. Averaging 18.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game that season, he was named to the Second-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive teams.
Jackson-Davis made several preseason First and Second All-American teams entering his senior year at Indiana. He became the first player ever to win four consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week awards en route to First-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive team honors. Jackson-Davis was a Consensus All-American and won the Power Forward of the Year Award in 2023.
Strengths
A good passer in the post, Jackson-Davis offers a dual-threat offensive game that should pay dividends early in his NBA career. His time with fellow prospect Jalen Hood-Schifino has shown that Jackson-Davis is a great option in the pick-and-roll. With soft hands and impressive footwork, he’ll likely continue to improve in that area as well. Jackson-Davis has a nice touch near the rim and uses his body well against smaller defenders.
A 7’1” wingspan and great timing made Jackson-Davis a phenomenal shot-blocker in college. He tied for fourth in the nation with 2.9 blocks per game last season and has the ability to chase down players that get by him.
Weaknesses
Jackson-Davis needs to improve in other defensive areas on the court. He lacks lateral quickness and can be exposed when guarding in space on the perimeter. That long wingspan helped him to erase many of these issues while at Indiana, but everyone moves faster in the league. Jackson-Davis will need to get better here. Otherwise, opponents with good midrange shooters will pick and roll him right out of the rotation.
Despite his offensive prowess, Jackson-Davis has not shown a great shooting ability while with the Hoosiers. He didn’t shoot jumpers often at Indiana. However, shooting 69.5% from the free throw suggests that he’ll need a lot of work in the offseason. There have been reports that Jackson-Davis has shot well during workouts this summer, but until we see it in-game, consider this an area for improvement.
NBA Player Comparison
As much as I’d like to compare him to his father, Dale Davis, TJD reminds me more of another former Pacer. With great touch and a bevy of post-moves from a bygone era, Jackson-Davis reminds me of a young Al Jefferson.
NBA Draft Projection
Jackson-Davis is a player that will be able to contribute right away and could be a starter at some point. He’ll need to develop his shot and add some range.
Late first-early second.
