Indiana Hoosiers forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) goes to the basket over Illinois Fighting Illini forward Coleman Hawkins (33) during the second half at State Farm Center. Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Best Indiana Men’s Basketball Players Of The 2020s So Far: No. 1 Trayce Jackson-Davis

Originally posted on Indiana Hoosiers on SI
By Todd Golden | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 5:16 PM ET

Pick any decade to try to choose Indiana’s best men’s basketball player, and you can likely have a lively debate.

The 1960s offer up Walt Bellamy, Jimmy Rayl, Dick and Tom Van Arsdale, and Jon McGlockin as choices.

The 1970s have a particularly rich vein of choices. George McGinnis, Steve Downing, Scott May, Kent Benson, Quinn Buckner and Mike Woodson played the majority of their careers in the decade.

The 1980s have Isiah Thomas, Steve Alford, Dean Garrett, Keith Smart and Jay Edwards. Calbert Cheaney would likely be the choice for the 1990s, but there’s at least solid competition from Alan Henderson, Greg Graham, Eric Anderson, Brian Evans and A.J. Guyton.

The 2000s have several candidates in Jared Jeffries, Eric Gordon, D.J. White, Tom Coverdale and others. The 2010s have Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, Yogi Ferrell and many others.

You get the point. Indiana amassed a lot of talent by decade, but as far as the 2020s so far are concerned? There is no debate who the best player of the decade has been.

Trayce Jackson-Davis runs away with the No. 1 spot.

Jackson-Davis swept the top spot in every category used for inclusion in the top 16 – and he wasn’t even close to his peers in most categories.

Jackson-Davis started 126 games, more than 35 more than anyone else. His accumulated win shares are 23.6, 12.2 more than any other Hoosier. His average win share of 5.9 doubles all players except one-year Hoosiers Oumar Ballo and Kel’El Ware. His win share peak of 7.2 is 2.9 points better than anyone. His 17.9 average points per game in the 2020s is two points better than the field.

Jackson-Davis began his career under coach Archie Miller and was a starter straight away. He averaged 13.5 points and 8.4 rebounds in his first season as the Greenwood, Ind., native was off-and-running.

Jackson-Davis averaged 19.1 points and nine rebounds in 2021, but it wasn’t enough to save Miller’s job. One of the key moments of Woodson’s early days as Indiana coach was convincing Jackson-Davis to stay at Indiana. Woodson was successful and set the table for two NCAA Tournament seasons to come.

Jackson-Davis averaged 18.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in 2022 as Indiana advanced via the First Four into the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Indiana fans hadn’t really seen anything yet.

In any other year, Jackson-Davis’s 2022-23 season would have won him Big Ten MVP and maybe national player of the year. But Jackson-Davis shared the conference and the national picture with Purdue’s Zach Edey, who won both honors.

All of the aspects of Jackson-Davis’s game – his ability to finish at the rim, mid-range shooting that drew defenders away from the basket, rim protection and rebounding – came together at once.

Jackson-Davis averaged 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, four assists and 2.9 blocks – all career highs.

Jackson-Davis had 18 double-doubles and a triple-double (12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) in a December game against Nebraska.

He topped 30 points four times. Perhaps his greatest game of all came at Illinois on Jan. 19. He had 35 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. He was 15 of 19 from the field in an 80-65 victory against a good Fighting Illini squad.

Good as Jackson-Davis was, Indiana still couldn’t get out of the first weekend of the tournament. Indiana defeated Kent State, but lost to eventual Final Four team Miami in the second round.

Jackson-Davis could have come back for the 2023-24 season, but decided to turn pro. He was drafted in the second round by the Golden State Warriors and continues to play for the Warriors.

Over his career, Jackson-Davis was only the fifth Hoosier to have over 2,000 career points (2,258) and over 1,000 rebounds (1,143). He was an All-Big Ten first team selection in two different seasons and was second-team once and third-team in another season.

He was the most dominant Indiana men’s basketball player of the 2020s by far. He sets a high bar for anyone to exceed or match his accomplishment for the rest of the decade.