Few major NBA Draft decisions remain for college basketball's top stars, but one of the biggest was settled on Friday when Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis announced his return to Bloomington.
Jackson-Davis, who entered his name into the draft process while leaving a return open, was unable to compete at the combine due to COVID-19. With most looking at the 6-foot-10 forward as a second-round or undrafted player, being unable to improve his stock at the combine surely played a role.
Hoosiers fans aren't complaining. His impact was immediately seen in the betting market.
Once listed as high as +7500 at Caesars to win the national championship, the Hoosiers were down to +6000 there, +5000 at BetMGM, +4500 at FanDuel and +4000 at DraftKings.
Jackson-Davis is coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 18 points and eight rebounds per game, leading the Hoosiers back to the NCAA Tournament in their first season under new head coach Mike Woodson. Woodson's NBA experience was a key factor in Jackson-Davis returning this season.
It's not the only move of the offseason that's made a difference for Indiana. Starting forward Race Thompson announced he'll return, and incoming freshmen Jalen Hood-Schifino, Kaleb Banks, C.J. Gunn and Malik Reneau will look to make an early impact.
Indiana finished 21-14 a season ago, including a 9-11 mark in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers won a play-in game in the NCAA Tournament over Wyoming after making a run in the Big Ten Tournament. They were bounced by Saint Mary's in the second round.
