Los Angeles Lakers select Jalen Hood-Schifino in 2023 NBA Draft

Former Indiana guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has heard his name called in the 2023 NBA Draft. On Thursday, he was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 17 pick of the first round.

Hood-Schifino enters the NBA after a terrific lone season in Bloomington. He originally came out of high school as a high four-star recruit and the No. 25 overall player in the 2022 class, per the On3 Industry Rankings — and he more than exceeded expectations.

The Hoosiers came into year two of the Mike Woodson era needing to not just make the NCAA Tournament, but have a successful season overall. Well, they did just that, in large part thanks to Jalen Hood-Schifino. He was the best player IU had in the backcourt for much of the year and really excelled once he took over as the de facto point guard for Xavier Johnson, who wound up missing the entire second half of the season.

In conference play, when he asserted himself as the team’s lead guard, JHS averaged a hair under 15 points a game along with 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists while starting all 18 Big Ten contests. Trayce Jackson-Davis got more of the headlines, but it’s possible Hood-Schifino was as or more important to the operation down the stretch.

At 6-foot-6 with point guard skills and plenty of athleticism, Jalen Hood-Schifino is the perfectly versatile perimeter piece every NBA team is looking for. If only he can shore up that jumper a bit more.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Jalen Hood-Schifino

Below, you can read the analysis and projections on Hood Schifino’s NBA.com draft profile, which was provided by RotoWire. Take a look:

“Hood-Schifino is a big point guard, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 215 pounds. He has lead point guard skills – great vision, passing and handling – which helped him thrive in traditional pick-and-roll settings. He likes the mid-range jumper, but has the size to bully smaller guards on hard drives. Given his size and quickness, he could defend multiple positions in the NBA and was aggressive on that end of the floor in college.

“It’s unlikely Hood-Schifino will be given the keys to an NBA offense out of the gate, but his upside as a combo guard that can run an offense and make his presence felt on defense gives him a strong chance at a meaningful reserve role to begin his career.”

He may not be a star right away, but JHS was primarily drafted for the future his physical tools may provide. Very few athletes like him also share the ball skills he does. But by no means is he ready to hijack an NBA team as a ball-handler the way he did at Indiana. A very, very bright future for Hood-Schifino in his brand new home.