Commitment breakdown: Indiana lands Jalen Hood-Schifino
Indiana grabbed its third commitment in the class of 2022 on Tuesday, when four-star guard Jalen Hood-Schifino made the call for the Hoosiers over fellow finalist Tennessee. The No. 32 prospect in the class, Hood-Schifino also seriously entertained offers from Florida, Texas, Memphis and others.
Below, Rivals.com has a look at what the Hoosiers are getting in their new guard as well as what Hood-Schifino’s commitment means for the bigger picture.
WHAT INDIANA IS GETTING:
One of the more physically imposing guards in the 2022 class, Hood-Schifino has added significant muscle over the last year and comes with impressive positional versatility. He handles the ball well enough to play the one or the two, while his size allows him to also play minutes at the three in a pinch. His strong upper body allows him to get the rim incredibly well and finish through contact. He has a solid mid-range game but needs to become more consistent from deep. Defensively, Hood-Schifino is one of the more versatile and tenacious guards in 2022, as he brings a rare blend of versatility and quickness to the table and can guard multiple positions. Few high school players are more battle-tested than Hood-Schifino, who plays a truly national high school schedule at superpower Montverde Academy and for Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit in the summer.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE HOOSIERS
Less than five months after Mike Woodson took over as Indiana’s head coach, it’s hard to believe the knock on him was based on the fact that the 63-year old, first-time college head coach might not be able to recruit at an elite level. Woodson first landed the No. 33 prospect in the 2021 class in Tamar Bates and has now added No. 32 in the class of 2022 in the form of Hood-Schifino. Nobody knows what the Woodson Era holds, as he’s yet to coach a game in Bloomington. What is starting to seem clear, however, is that he won’t fail because of a lack of recruiting effort. Woodson is already proving he can stand toe-to-toe with heavy hitters to land in-demand prospects.
IN HIS WORDS: “The history of Indiana is great. They have a new coach, Mike Woodson, who just got the job. He hit me up almost immediately after he was hired and I have gotten a good feel for him. I have been talking to coach Woodson and (assistant) coach Kenya Hunter a lot," -- Hood-Schifino to Rivals.com this summer