Indiana Basketball's Jalen Hood-Schifino 'Sits Right at the Top'

Indiana basketball has a loaded roster capped off with four incoming freshmen including standout guard Jalen Hood-Schifino. Coach Mike Woodson said he's "kind of" had him in the starting lineup headed into the season.

© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — At 6'6" 213 pounds and 19 years on this earth, Indiana freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino is ready to chop it up on the court.

Although from Pittsburgh, Penn., Hood-Schifino played high school ball at Montverde Academy in Florida alongside fellow incoming freshman recruit Malik Reneau.

While in the sunshine state, Hood-Schifino led his team to back-to-back GEICO high school national championships in his senior season.

His talent earned him the honor of being the highest-rated incoming recruit in the Big Ten by 247 Sports. Adding to his resume, the guard traveled to Los Angeles to play at Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul's Elite Guard Camp in August 2022.

"Everybody has got to be ready to play," head coach Mike Woodson said at Indiana Basketball Media Day. 

Jalen Hood-Schifino gets interviewed at Indiana Basketball Media Day :: © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

"Schifino has been a great addition to our ball club because he can do a lot of things on the basketball floor, but he's got to be held accountable to play at a high level and help us win basketball games. I'm going to need him to do that."

Hood-Schifino also caught the eye of NCAA digital reporter and analyst Andy Katz, also seen on Turner Sports and Big Ten Network. Katz ranked Hood-Schifino as No. 13 and the first freshman on his list of Top 22 Big Ten Men's Basketball Rankings. 

"He's expected to be the top playmaker for the Hoosiers this season on a team that's loaded with talent," Katz said.

"If he can have that impact on the perimeter with his team for Mike Woodson, then the Hoosiers definitely will be the pick and the winner of the Big Ten."

The first freshman in @TheAndyKatz's Top @B1GMBBall Players Countdown? 🥁

It's @Jalenhs for @IndianaMBB, and the top recruit comes in at No. 13 in the 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝘇 𝟮𝟮: pic.twitter.com/tIRqcDxHtr

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 25, 2022

The expectations are high, but it won't be as easy as throwing Hood-Schifino into the lineup. Woodson said the freshmen class containing Reneau, Kaleb Banks and CJ Gunn, is competitive.

"Jalen sits right at the top," Woodson said. "I've kind of had him in the starting lineup, I've had him on the second team. I'm just trying to look at combinations just to see who's going to start, who's going to get the minutes."

Woodson said he doesn't put too much pressure on the freshmen, but he would like to speed their development processes up because this season, they can't play like freshmen.

When the freshmen first started practicing with the team, they couldn't beat the first unit and left the gym with their heads hung.

"I called them in after one practice, and I said 'listen, there's going to come a time where you're going to beat that unit'," Woodson said.

Jalen Hood-Schifino is introduced at Hoosier Hysteria :: © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Hoosiers have a loaded roster welcoming back 11 players including four starters. Plus, the team is ranked No. 13 in the Preseason AP Poll, a feat Indiana is proud of but not concerned about.

Whomever's jersey is tapped to play from that loaded roster will have to play the best minutes they possibly can while on that floor because if not, Woodson might not look that way again, he said.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• OVER THE YEARS WITH MIKE WOODSON Take a walk through Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson's college and NBA playing career as well as his coaching stints in the NBA. His 11 years playing in the NBA plus his assistant and head coaching jobs have provided the Hoosiers with a new perspective from a man who lives and breathes the game. CLICK HERE 
• MALIK RENEAU ENTERS SEASON AS VALUABLE FRONT COURT PIECE Malik Reneau joined his teammate Jalen Hood-Schifino on the journey from Montverde Academy to Indiana, and he'll play a significant role after an offseason of learning from Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson. CLICK HERE
• JACKSON-DAVIS AP ALL-AMERICAN: Hoosier forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was named a preseason AP All-American as the only Big Ten player, joining Oscar Tshiebwe, Drew Timme, Marcus Sasser and Armando Bacot. CLICK HERE