The year 2023 was full of excitement and included several big moments for the Indiana basketball program. While the Hoosiers continue their quest in becoming an upper echelon program again, the last 12 months brought plenty of growth and progress to build on.
Before we look ahead to 2024, let's take a look back at six of the big highlights of 2023.
6. Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis selected in the NBA Draft
As much as the Hoosiers would have loved to have Jalen Hood-Schifino in the candy stripes this season, his quick ascent to the NBA was great for the program. Other recruits will take notice at his development and how players can blossom quickly at Indiana. He was selected with the 17th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hoosier legend Trayce Jackson-Davis was selected with the 57th overall pick in the draft. And just as TJD predicted, there's a whole lot of teams regretting their decision to pass on his services in the draft. Jackson-Davis is making Hoosier nation proud by having a very strong rookie season in Golden State.
5. Trayce Jackson-Davis breaks program blocks and rebounding records.
TJD cemented his legacy at Indiana even further in his senior season when he passed Jeff Newton in total blocks, and Alan Henderson in total rebounds. Both records will be difficult to break for all future Hoosiers.
4. Hoosiers win five straight conference games in January
After starting the conference season at 1-4, the Hoosiers turned things up in January with a five-game winning streak. It was the first time Indiana won five conference games in a row since the 2015-2016 season. The streak included home wins over #18 Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State, a huge road win at Illinois and another road win at Minnesota.
3. Hoosiers take down Purdue at home
Anytime the Hoosiers play Purdue, it's a special environment. But on February 4th, the Boilers came to Bloomington as the #1 team in the nation. Indiana knew they needed to play an elite game to beat an elite team, and they delivered. The 79-74 victory not only gave the Hoosiers a big conference win, but it put a major win on their tournament resume. It was also the second straight year the Purdue/IU game in Bloomington ended with a court full of fans.
2. Hoosiers beat Kent St. in the NCAA Tournament
It had been a long time coming. For the first time since 2016, the Hoosiers headed to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating No.13-seed Kent State in the first round. One of the most important goals of Mike Woodson and Trayce Jackson-Davis came to fruition with the victory. Jackson-Davis led the way with 24 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five blocks. Senior Race Thompson had a big night with 20 points and nine rebounds.
1. Hoosiers win at Purdue
You could argue the victory over Kent State should take higher priority than a regular season game, and you may be right. But the win at West Lafayette still felt like the biggest win in quite some time for the Indiana program. It's one thing to knock Purdue off in Bloomington. Doing it in West Lafayette is a completely different animal. Mackey Arena was ready to rock, and the Purdue fans were ready for revenge. Instead, Jalen Hood-Schifino put on a clinic that propelled his NBA draft stock, and the Hoosiers quieted the Paint Crew, on way to an impressive 79-71 victory.
Hood-Schifino had 35 points, and displayed a rare calmness for a freshman in that environment. Mike Woodson improved to 3-1 against Purdue, and the Hoosiers swept the Boilers for the first time since 2013.
And now we look ahead to 2024. The current team would love to put together a list of highlights to talk about a year from now. They want to build their own legacy apart from Trayce Jackson-Davis. With their 2-0 start in conference play, the opportunity is there for the Hoosiers to make some noise in the conference. Their resolutions should include finding more shooters, getting back to the NCAA Tournament, and continuing to develop their identity as a program.
Thanks for following our coverage at TheHoosier.com. Let's have a great 2024.
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