Indiana freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino is declaring for the 2023 NBA draft and will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to ESPN’s duo, Hood-Schifino didn’t initially project as an obvious one-and-done player, but a strong freshman year improved his draft stock and has made him a potential lottery pick. He ranks 13th overall on Givony’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects.
A 6’6″ guard, Hood-Schifino averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 33.1 minutes per game (32 contests) as a freshman, posting a shooting line of .417/.333/.776. The youngster took the reins at point guard for the Hoosiers when Xavier Johnson suffered a season-ending injury and helped the team claim a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament.
“NBA teams were able to see that I can take over a game, create my own shot, run a team, that I have a high IQ, that I’m tough, and that I have a unique pace to my game,” Hood-Schifino told ESPN. “I’m looking forward to showing the NBA teams my body measurements matching what’s on paper, my athleticism, and my shooting ability.”