NBA Draft Prospect Profiles: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana

Trayce Jackson-Davis will not be the only star to depart Indiana this offseason. Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has also gone pro after just one season in Bloomington while seeing his stock shoot into the lottery projections over the past few weeks. With the draft around the corner, we dissect his game and get you up to speed on his scouting report.

Career with Indiana

It took until conference play rolled around, but Hood-Schifino took the reigns of Indiana’s backcourt in his freshman season. The Pittsburgh native made his presence felt in the Big Ten in a January matchup against Northwestern, rocking the Wildcats with 33 points on 12-for-17 from the floor. His one-two punch with frontcourt beast Trayce Jackson-Davis made for one of the best high-low duos in college basketball last season.

Strengths

Hood-Schifino does so well playing at his own pace. He can slow things down to his pace when he drives the lane, waiting for the defense to commit to a decision. He gives himself easy access to a rack attack or a pull-up midrange, which he showed off repeatedly in 2022-23. He’s a great floor general who is a mastermind of spacing and the pick-and-roll, taking advantage of whatever the defense allows.

Weaknesses

Hood-Schifino possesses below-average athleticism with little explosiveness and acrobatics when he attacks the rim. He finds his way to his spot often and can put the ball in the hoop, but the gap in athleticism required to succeed at the Big Ten versus the NBA is hefty. He was an average three-point shooter at 33 percent last season but could improve from beyond the arc to make him a tougher defensive assignment. NBA veterans will sag off him and make him an easy guard if he doesn’t force them to step out and take away his jump shot.

Overall NBA Projection

Patience and decision-making seem to be outweighing sheer athleticism in today’s NBA. Players like Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Jalen Brunson are all thriving in the NBA despite being less athletic than Hood-Schifino. We will stake our claim that Hood-Schifino will be a star at the next level. He read Big Ten defenses better than almost any other freshman in the league and has the tools to become a savvy NBA guard.

Projected Pick: Lottery

Player Comparison: Jalen Brunson