BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Welcome to our summer series where Hoosier basketball fans can vote for their favorite Indiana players to wear each number. Today, we resume with all the best to wear the number 23.
Favorite Hoosier?
Each day we’re going to give you four picks along with a short player bio to choose your favorite Hoosier who wore a certain number.
Here are your four No. 23 jersey picks in alphabetical order so we don’t show bias. Be sure to take the poll below via Twitter.
(Editor’s note: We’ll be taking results for 48 hours on the poll, then sharing the results on this story the next day, so check back regularly to see the results.)
Trayce Jackson-Davis (2019-current)
If you’ve been following our series, you may have seen forward Trayce Jackson-Davis pop up at No. 4. He wore it as a freshman but has held No. 23 for the past two seasons.
If you need a refresher on his basketball resume, read below.
The current Indiana glue guy and a native of Greenwood, Indiana, Jackson-Davis, began his career ranked among the top 10 freshmen by CBS Sports and was one of only four freshmen at the time leading his team in scoring, rebounding, free throw percentage and blocks.
After successful sophomore and junior seasons, Jackson-Davis only got better with age. During his three-year career at Indiana, he ranked fifth nationally in scoring with 1,588 points, sixth in field goals (588) and fourth in free throws (412).
The team captain is also ready in the media room and expects to be an All-American contender against Indiana coach Mike Woodson this season.
Jackson-Davis declared for the NBA draft after last season to gather information on his status from professional scouts, but a case of COVID-19 kept him out of the 2022 NBA Combine. afterwards, he decided to return to Bloomington for his senior season.
Eric Gordon (2007-08)
Guard Eric Gordon of Indianapolis, Ind. holds the program’s freshman scoring record with 669 points in the 32 games he started. He was also the first freshman to average more than 20 points per game and the first Hoosier overall since 1996, when Brian Evans averaged 21.2 points.
Gordon was named a CBSSports.com first-team All-American and, unsurprisingly, a first-team Freshman All-American. He was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection by the media, among other honors.
The Big Ten scorer was later drafted as the seventh overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2008, where he played for a few seasons. He was traded to the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans where he stayed for five seasons before landing in Houston in 2016 where he currently plays.
Jamal Meeks (1988-92)
Jamal Meeks of Freeport, Illinois scored 445 points for the Hoosiers while shooting 47.4% from the field and 75.4% from the charity strip.
During Meeks’ Hoosiers’ career, every team has made it to the NCAA Tournament. In 1992, for Meeks’ senior season, Indiana made the Final Four by eliminating No. 1 seed UCLA to get there. Unfortunately, Duke got the better of the Hoosiers 81-78.
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After college, Meeks was an assistant at Bowling Green under Dan Dakich in 1997 before moving to Butler as a staffer for Thad Matta. He then moved to West Long Beach, NJ for seven seasons to serve at Monmouth University helping with recruiting, scouting, and other day-to-day operations for the team.
In April 2022, Meeks joined former Hoosier and current Ball State men’s basketball head coach Michael Lewis as the Cardinals assistant coach.
Keith Smart (1986-88)
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, guard Keith Smart is best known for his game-winning shot against Syracuse in the 1988 NCAA title game. Entering the tournament, Indiana was the No. played his first four games near Bloomington with a burgeoning Hoosiers fan base.
The national title was Indiana’s fifth and former head coach Bob Knight’s third with the team.
Smart was signed by San Antonio Spurs career after Hoosiers. He only played two games before later playing overseas and with various non-NBA affiliated teams.
Smart continued his basketball journey as a head coach as well as assistant coaching stints with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and CBA’s Fort Wayne Fury.
He is now an assistant coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Honorable mentions:
Remy Abell (2011-13)
Louisville, Ky. native guard Remy Abell played 68 games for the Hoosiers averaging 3.5 points per game, shooting 46 percent from the field. He played about 10 minutes in each game, but every minute was precious as he went on to play in back-to-back Sweet 16s both years as a Hoosier.
Abell was traded to Xavier for his final two seasons in an effort to increase his playing time.
Jim Wisman (1974-78)
Jim Wisman of Quincy, Illinois played 104 games for the Hoosiers totaling 420 points and 325 assists.
The guard was on the 1976 NCAA Tournament Championship team when Indiana defeated Michigan 86-68 for its third NCAA title and coach Bob Knight’s first with the Hoosiers.
Indiana’s all-time number 23
Here are all the players who have worn No. 23 at Indiana:
- Trayce Jackson Davis —(2019-current)
- Damezi Anderson — (2018-20)
- Nate Ritchie — (2014-15)
- Remy Abell — (2011-13)
- Bobby Capobianco — (2009-11)
- Kipp Schutz — (2007-09)
- Eric Gordon — (2007-08)
- Sean Klin — (2002-06)
- Rob Turner — (1997-99)
- Jean Paul — (1994-95, 1996-97)
- Kevin Lemme — (1995-96)
- Steve Hart — (1993-98)
- Jamal Meeks — (1988-92)
- Keith Smart— (1986-88)
- Delray Brooks — (1984-86)
- chuck franz — (1979-84)
- Don Cox — (1978-79)
- Jim Wisman — (1974-78)
- Craig Morris — (1972-74)
- Steve Heiniger — (1971-73)
- Larry Gipson — (1968-71)
- Vern Payne — (1965-68)
- Al Harden — (1962-65)
- Jerry Bass — (1959-62)
- Stan Hill — (1957-59)
- Charlie Hodson — (1954-57)
- Jim Phipps — (1953-56)
- Ron Taylor — (1952-53)
- swan tail — (1951-52)
- Freeland Armstrong — (1944-46)
- Don Huckleberry — (1939-40)
- William Menke — (1938-40)
Vote for your favorite number 23 on Twitter
You will be able to vote on Twitter for your favorite player with each number. Here’s the link to today’s poll for #23.