Future Hoosiers? -- Jerome Hunter, Trayce Jackson-Davis earn IU basketball offers


By Pete DiPrimio

They came

They were offered

Will they accept?

That is the big question in the aftermath of Indiana’s weekend team basketball camp.
Teams and players gathered at Assembly Hall and Cook Hall to compete, improve and impress.

Hoosier coaches were there to, in a big way, woo.

The top targets were four-star forward Jerome Hunter out of Ohio, and four-star center Trayce Jackson-Davis from Center Grove in Indiana.

IU coaches made them offers Hoosier fans hope they can’t refuse.

Stay tuned.

There were other camp prospects, of course, in this annual June ritual college coaches use to get recruits on campus, and players use to see what schools really intrigue them.

First, a few facts.

The camp featured high school talent from around the state and the Midwest.

The 6-7 Hunter stood out right away, which is what you’d expect from a player who has long since sparked interest from IU coach Archie Miller. Miller had offered him a scholarship last year while Miller was at Dayton.

For good reason. Hunter is rated the No. 61 player in the Class of 2018, the No. 14 forward in the nation and the No. 3 forward in Ohio.

As a result, Ohio State has offered him. So have Purdue, Michigan, Penn State, Illinois, Rutgers, Pitt, West Virginia, Xavier, North Carolina State and a bunch more.
That means he’s a potential difference maker.

More to the point, Hunter is a vocal leader, a solid outside shooter, a good rebounder, an improving defender and a guy with a high motor. He’s also versatile, which more and more is what you need to be if you have NBA aspirations.

And everybody these days has NBA aspirations -- including a certain shaved-head writer.

But we digress.

At a junior at Pinkerington North High School, Hunger showcased double-double form by averaging 19.3 points and 10.9 rebounds.

That helped generate a buzz that has earned him plenty of recruiting attention. That includes Chris Holtmann, the new Ohio State coach. Holtmann was after Hunter while at Butler, and has kept that interest going when he changed jobs.

Then there is the 6-8 Jackson-Davis, who got his Cream ‘n Crimson scholarship offer on Sunday, and announced it via Twitter. He rates as the No. 82 player nationally in the Class of 2019, and the No. 17 center, courtesy of Scout.com. He’s the state of Indiana’s No. 5 junior prospect according to 247 Sports.

Oh. One other thing. He’s the son of former Indiana Pacer Dale Davis.







Does that guarantee that Jackson-Davis will one day be a pro?

No, but it also doesn't mean that he won't.

Stay tuned.

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