Indiana Hoosiers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (1) dribbles the ball against Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) during the first half at Mackey Arena. Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Best Indiana Men’s Basketball Players Of The 2020s So Far: No. 4 Jalen Hood-Schifino

Originally posted on Indiana Hoosiers on SI
By Todd Golden | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 7:16 PM ET

When assessing the best Indiana men’s basketball players of the 2020s, the nature of a decade in which players moved around with unprecedented frequency made it difficult to compare the legacy of one-year players and players who stuck around for a while.

For example, how do you rate Trey Galloway – who played more games in program history than anyone ever – against a one-year player like Jalen Hood-Schifino?

In the case of these rankings, Hoosiers On SI tried to compare the impact of the moment. Galloway shouldn’t have his years of experience count against him, but neither should one-year stars have their impact diminished because of the length of their stay.

Trying to square that circle is how Hood-Schifino comes in at No. 4 on the list. He’s the second-best of the one-year players included in the top 16 of the 2020s.

Befitting a one-year player, Hood-Schifino’s Indiana resume is blessed with peak achievements, not career ones. Hood-Schifino (13.5 ppg) ranked third in scoring when taking the best seasons into account. Because he was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, All-Freshman and an All-Big Ten selection, Hood-Schifino ranked second in the 2020s in individual honors.

Peak value is a great way to describe Hood-Schifino’s lone season in cream and crimson. He wasn’t always great, but when he was, he was as dominant as any player.

Hood-Schifino had eight games where he converted 25% or less on his shot attempts – which were always high as he was a volume shooter. He also had five games where he was 60% or better and when you’re a volume shooter? It means you’re going to put up huge numbers.

One of those performances was a 33-point game in an 84-83 home loss to Northwestern in January 2023. That was his career-high … until he had the game that lives longest in the memory of Hoosiers fans.

Few expected Indiana to go into Mackey Arena on Feb. 25 and live to tell about it. No. 5 Purdue would be Big Ten champions and spent part of the 2022-23 season ranked No. 1.

Hood-Schifino cut Purdue to pieces with his mid-range shooting and ability to go to the rim. He had 35 points, on just one 3-point shot made, to go with seven rebounds as the Hoosiers surprised the Boilermakers, 79-71.

Even when Hood-Schifino had a quiet game, he could still make loud contributions. In a home game against Illinois on Feb. 18, 2023, Hood-Schifino was 5 of 17 from the floor, but he calmly hit the game-tying jumper and the game-winning free throws to lift the Hoosiers to a 71-68 victory.

Hood-Schifino was a hot commodity after his freshman season and left Indiana to turn pro. His NBA adventures have been somewhat star-crossed. He’s already been dropped by the Los Angeles Lakers – the team that drafted him 17th overall in 2023, but he showed signs of life late in the 2024-25 season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Hood-Schifino was capable of being the best player on the floor at his peak. If someone was building a team from Indiana players of the 2020s, Hood-Schifino would almost certainly be one of the first players picked.