For the second year in a row, Indiana coach Archie Miller kept the state's best prospect home for college, as five-star center Trayce Jackson-Davis announced his commitment to the Hoosiers on Friday afternoon.
‼️‼️ I AM COMMITTED ‼️‼️ @TiptonEdits pic.twitter.com/Wtw27yeuPc
— TJD (@TrayceJackson) November 30, 2018
Jackson-Davis chose Indiana over Michigan State and UCLA. He took official visits to all three schools in the summer and fall, but he let the early signing period come and go without making a decision.
The Hoosiers were long considered the favorite for Jackson-Davis, but Michigan State appeared to close the gap coming down the stretch.
When Miller took over for Tom Crean in March 2017, he made it clear he was going to make a strong effort to keep the best in-state prospects home for college, referring to it as an "inside out" strategy. Letting top players leave the state for college was one of the biggest knocks against Crean in his final couple of years in Bloomington.
"They must feel like they're being dominated by Indiana University," Miller said at his introductory press conference. "You're not going to get every player. You understand that. But if we want them, we should have a great chance of getting them because of the commitment level that we're putting forth 24 hours a day at home."
The big fish was Romeo Langford, an elite prospect in the 2018 class. Indiana came from behind to beat Kansas for Langford, but the Hoosiers also reeled in four-stars Robert Phinisee and Damezi Anderson.
Jackson-Davis was the top target in the state in the 2019 class. The 6-foot-9 center from Center Grove High School is ranked No. 17 in the ESPN 100 for the 2019 class. He slots in as the No. 5 center.
Playing for the Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL circuit over the spring and summer, Jackson-Davis averaged 17.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field. He had moments of dominance, including a 24-point, 18-rebound performance against elite recruit Vernon Carey Jr. in July. Jackson-Davis logged five double-doubles during the 21-game season.
Jackson-Davis is Indiana's second commitment in the 2019 class, joining four-star shooting guard Armaan Franklin. The Hoosiers are also still in the mix for Matthew Hurt, Keion Brooks and others.