Why Warriors' TJD picked Indiana over UCLA, Michigan State
Why Warriors' TJD picked Indiana over UCLA, Michigan State originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
As Trayce Jackson-Davis was making his college decision in 2018, he had a chance to commit to UCLA, a blue blood program, before ultimately picking Indiana and staying close to home.
Heading into his senior year at Center Grove High School in Indiana as a highly coveted center, Jackson-Davis received offers from UCLA, Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa and Wake Forest.
On the latest episode of "Dubs Talk," Jackson-Davis told Kerith Burke and Monte Poole he was leaning towards a move to California – until then-UCLA coach Steve Alford was dismissed.
“One of the only reasons why UCLA kind of got pushed out early was because coach Alford got fired,” Jackson-Davis told Burke and Poole. “And so, I was kind of too late because I’m pretty sure he got fired right in the beginning of my senior year, so there wasn’t enough time for the new coach to make up the ground. And so, it was really between Indiana and Michigan State at the end just from that.”
After four years with the Hoosiers, Jackson-Davis was selected as the Warriors’ 2023 second-round draft pick, making the forward one of the few selections with four years of college experience in the bag.
Jackson-Davis explained to Burke and Poole how joining the NBA at 23 years of age and playing under Indiana coach Mike Woodson prepared him for the professional level well in advance.
“What it does for me is a level of experience just playing for a college or an NBA-style coach for two years,” Jackson-Davis shared with Burke and Poole. “In my last two years, getting that experience, I think I really benefited from it just from a standpoint of the coverages that we do, the ATOs, NBA style. Coach Woodson has talked about it a lot, and it’s all translated to what coach Kerr’s philosophies are.”
Jackson-Davis’ four years of play in Indiana wasn’t done in vain, however, as the Warriors’ rookie highlighted how his time in college allowed him to extend his childhood and delay the transactional labor realities of the NBA.
“Absolutely, college was a blast just being with the guys on my college team, it’s really the last chance you get to be a kid,” Jackson-Davis explained. “And so, I knew that the NBA is a business. It’s a full-time job and getting to enjoy that is something that me and coach Woody discussed my last year on campus. Kind of just taking it all for what it is, I think I benefited from it. But yeah, the NBA is definitely a business.”
From coach Woodson to coach Tom Izzo, the pursuit for Jackson-Davis’ commitment was hotly contested.
The forward shared Indiana’s persistent communication during the recruitment phase, which convinced him to commit to the Hoosiers for the 2019 NCAA season.
“Oh, it was great [to be considered by different colleges],” Jackson-Davis shared. “They all were different in a way. Indiana was close to home, but coach [Archie] Miller and coach [Tom] Ostrom, their recruiting coach, did a lot of early-on work, which I really appreciated.”
At that moment, Michigan State’s coach Izzo had an existing relationship with Jackson-Davis’ father, former NBA player Dale Davis. The conversations between the forward and the Spartans were constant, but like UCLA’s pursuit, a commitment never materialized.
“They were talking to me every day,” Jackson-Davis shared. “Coach Izzo, him and my dad were really close. He had his own philosophy. He told me about all the things I didn’t want to hear, which was a good thing. My dad loved it. UCLA, obviously, I have family in California and I really liked the campus. [It’s] a beautiful campus, but with coach Alford leaving it was hard to make that jump.”
Not only was the communication from coach Izzo consistent, but Jackson-Davis remembers it being notable.
“Just the playing,” Jackson-Davis recalled being told by coach Izzo. “At the time, I don’t think my motor was as good as it was. What else did he talk about? Rebounding. Oh yeah, coach Izzo did [ask me to step it up]."
Ironically, the Warriors rookie's college basketball career was defined by a household NBA name that had similar words for Jackson-Davis.
“What’s funny is when coach Woody got the job [at Indiana], he did the same thing,” Jackson-Davis said. “And that’s when my dad was like, ‘ You should stay and play for him.’ ”
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