A four time member of All-Big Ten, a consensus All-American, and a two-time Big Ten All-Defense honoree, Trayce Jackson-Davis had a productive 4 seasons at Indiana. As a senior, Trayce Jackson-Davis averaged 21 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 3 BPG, and 2.5 TOPG on splits of 58/0/69.5. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Trayce Jackson-Davis
Height/Weight: 6’9/240
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’1/8’10
Hand size: 10.75
Position: PF/C
College/ country: Indiana
Tools: Athleticism, defense
Pros:
- Good vision, especially out of the post
- Good passer off of rolls & on the move, especially off of flashes
- Versatile perimeter defender
- Plus athlete
- Excellent low-post touch with both hands
- Strong post footwork
- Good cutter and roll threat
- Good shot blocker; great shot block timing
- Draws lots of fouls
- Can handle double teams without panicking
- Long arms
- Great second jump
- Outstandingly productive rebounder
Cons:
- Jump shooting
- Motor can come and go at times
- Questionable awareness at times
- Makes lazy passes too often
- Hunts blocks and highlight plays too often sometimes
- Needs to use his hands on defense less
- Slightly undersized at 6’9
- Needs to get more consistent in being active on the boards in boxing out
- Must get more consistent screens set; leaks out before fully setting screens
Summary:
Trayce Jackson-Davis is a unique big man with overwhelming athleticism, defense, and finishing ability. Jackson-Davis, or TJD for short, has a unique role to play, due to being 6’9, but being limited to playing center offensively since his jump shot is ineffective at this stage of his career. His offensive role is severely limited because teams can sag off of him, and while he is a dominant pick & roll lob threat and finisher, teams can collapse on his rolls in the paint because he is not a threat to pop off of screens. Additionally, while he can post up and pass well out of the mid-post, his usage out of post-ups, by the nature of the modern NBA, are limited. However, the passing ability exemplifies his abilities to make reads with the ball in his hands, especially out of the short roll.
Defensively, TJD can guard multiple positions, and should be able to switch onto all positions except quick point guards. His explosive athleticism makes him a shot blocking threat, plus a versatile defender that can contain guards on drives. The key swing factors for his defensive outcome are: how he adapts to playing defense without using his hands, playing within himself and not hunting blocks, and not taking plays off.
Ultimately, if Trayce Jackson-Davis’ defense and finishing prowess translate, he could be a solid backup energy big on a good team. If the team he goes to has a stretch shooter, he could thrive as a flexible center with surprising ball-skills. This is a role every team needs fulfilled by their bigs, and if the negatives surrounding his game can quiet down (taking a lazy approach at times, both with motor and in hunting stats), he has a chance to be one of the steals of the draft. Teams will likely worry about his lack of a jump shot, but with a near 70% free throw percentage, there may be hope of shooting touch out to 15 feet.
Similar to: Dwight Powell with better defense, Brandon Clarke
Projected draft range: 25-50
Expected role: High energy two-way interior presence.
Unplayable if: Lack of a jump shot limits his offensive ability.
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shot evolves into a remotely reliable weapon that defenses have to respect. Defensively, he could exceed expectations if he can be versatile on the perimeter while being able to capably defend the rim both as a help defender and in being able to play a traditional center role defensively.
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