WATCH: Jalen Hood-Schifino Scores First Basket Against North Carolina

Indiana freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino opened the scoring with a smooth mid-range jumper on Wednesday night against North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana needs this version of Jalen Hood-Schifino in order to reach its full potential.

The five-star freshman guard thought about taking a 3-pointer after Trayce Jackson-Davis kicked the ball outside. Instead, Hood-Schifino ripped through and took two dribbles to the short corner. He pulled up and drained a mid-range jumper over North Carolina guard Caleb Love for the first basket of the game. 

Jalen Hood-Schifino gets things started for @IndianaMBB ‼️ pic.twitter.com/SvFy6D7uJB

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 1, 2022

Hood-Schifino entered the game with his fair share of struggles shooting the ball in the first six games of his Indiana career. He's shooting 33.3 percent from the field to start the year, but started Wednesday's matchup 3-for-3 with a 3-pointer, leading all scorers with seven points early on.

To follow along with all the action from the matchup between Indiana and North Carolina at Assembly Hall, CLICK HERE to read our live blog, written by HoosiersNow.com publisher, Tom Brew.

Next up for Indiana is a road trip to Piscataway, N.J. to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Rutgers is off to a 5-1 start with wins over Columbia, Sacred Heart, UMass Lowell, Rider and Central Connecticut State and a 72-66 loss at Temple on Nov. 18.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• MATCHUPS TO WATCH: When bluebloods meet on the basketball floor, it's always fun, and two schools that have won five or more national titles — Indiana and North Carolina — get together Wednesday for the last time in a while. There are several individual battles worth watching. CLICK HERE
• JACKSON-DAVIS VS. BACOT: Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis and North Carolina's Armando Bacot are good friends off the court, and the two All-Americans provide an intriguing matchup on Wednesday night at Assembly Hall when No. 10 Indiana takes on No. 18 North Carolina. CLICK HERE
• HOW TO WATCH: Indiana basketball (5-0) welcomes the No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels (5-2) to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. on Wednesday for a 9:15 p.m. ET tipoff. Here's how to watch, with game time and TV information, three leading storylines, the latest on the point spread, the coaching matchup, series history and more. CLICK HERE
  
• HUBERT DAVIS PREVIEWS INDIANA: Ahead of the No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels' matchup at No. 10 Indiana on Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, coach Hubert Davis talked about the challenges his team will face, his history with Bob Knight, the anticipated atmosphere at Assembly Hall and more. CLICK HERE
• OPENING LINE: North Carolina was preseason No. 1 but now has lost two straight games and are underdogs once again in its matchup with Indiana on Wednesday night in Bloomington. Here's the latest on the point spread, and both team's drastically different histories vs. the number so far this season. CLICK HERE
• 'I'M PLAYING': Injured Indiana senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was adamant Tuesday afternoon that he feels better and he will be in the starting lineup late Wednesday night when the Hoosiers take on North Carolina at Assembly Hall. "You're gonna have to take me out on a stretcher,'' he said. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA VS. UNC SERIES HISTORY: Indiana has a terrific history with North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, winning three of the four meetings. They'll dance one last time on Wednesday night in this event, and it's been a heck of the ride. CLICK HERE