Scout-Takes: Jalen Hood-Schifino | The Weekend Warrior
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Scout-Takes: Jalen Hood-Schifino | The Weekend Warrior
Stephen Gillaspie Collects the Thoughts and Opinions from Anonymous Scouts on Some of the More Popular Prospects from this Season's Draft Class. PLUS: Gillaspie's Top 100
Scout-Takes: Jalen Hood-Schifino
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Warrior. Normally, the focus of this column is to take a detailed look into a particular prospect. There is a little bit of background information on them, some analytical studying, a film dive on their offense and defense, and the “curtains” segment to close. Sometimes there is some deviation to this formula. Sometimes you’ll find a “think piece” and other times you’ll find an interview with an athlete. Today’s article will sample a bit of all of those things.
“Scout-Takes” is not an original thought, in theory. The goal of this piece will be to take a temperature check on one of the more popular or polarizing prospects in the coming draft class. This check is accomplished by asking some of the more respected minds within the draft community the same questions all centered around one player. With asking multiple scouts and analysts questions, there will be some opposing thoughts expressed to present a more holistic viewpoint that is likely to exist among the draft community at large. The participants are from different forms of media, outlets, organizations, etc. Without further ado, let’s get into today’s featured prospect.
Expectations
Jalen Hood-Schifino wasn’t an unknown prospect coming into his Freshman season at Indiana University, as he was an RSCI Top 20 recruit for the 2022 class. Very early in the cycle, our No Ceilings Collective had real conversations about the potential of Jalen as our own Maxwell Baumbach dove deep into that aspect all the way back in October. Even with all of that going in his favor, Hood-Schifino ranked 38th in the Initial Player Offerings that released in early November. Our own Corey Tulaba compiled the Top 40 prospects of the “consensus” rankings. With multiple reputable outlets factoring into the calculation, JHS was unranked by SB Nation, Tankathon, and SI. ESPN had him at 57.
Needless to say, Hood-Schifino was somewhat of a polarizing prospect coming into the season. In talking to a number of scouts for today’s piece, they shared how they viewed Jalen coming into this season.
“I was obviously very familiar with JHS coming into college, considering he played for Montverde in high school. But he wasn’t necessarily a solid prospect on my radar as a 2023 guy compared to a lot of other recruits in the class. I was obviously more intrigued by teammates Dariq Whitehead and Dillion Mitchell—both of whom JHS has outplayed this season for different reasons.”
- Anonymous Scout #1
This scout-take is one that should be appreciated on multiple fronts. Playing for Montverde, Hood-Schifino was out in the open as a prospect. His film is easily accessible, he played next to other talented players, and he played against significant competition at the high school level. Not being the focal point on this team clearly muddied the water on what to expect from him as he made the leap from Montverde to Indiana. Considering the fact that Dariq Whitehead and Dillion Mitchell were widely believed to be Top 10 level prospects within this class, this scout brought up a great point. Jalen has outplayed both of them up to this point in their collegiate careers. This scout wasn’t alone in his preseason expectations.
“I had Hood-Schifino as a late first coming into the season. I wanted to see how the shot would extend out to Three, and if he was able to get to his spots on a Big Ten court.”
-Anonymous Scout #2
Fair preseason scout-take. For one, a late first round grade at that point of the draft cycle was still higher than the consensus. Jalen was certainly a midrange maestro during his time in college. As of now, Hood-Schifino is shooting 36% from deep on just over three attempts per game. Being able to get to his spots is something that has been hit-and-miss at certain moments during the season but, as the season has continued, Jalen has improved in his ability to get to his spots. He has held up well within Big Ten play, despite having some injury concerns that came about during the season.
January Stock Hit
That injury concern impacted Hood-Schifino on and off the court. Having missed three games with lower back problems, the month of January was not too kind to Jalen’s draft stock. When Corey Tulaba aggregated how the consensus felt about JHS, it was alarming to many to find that he was excluded from the Top 50 prospects. Injuries can be scary—especially lower back ones. Inefficiencies could have been part of the analysis, but how could Jalen’s stock be hit that heavily due to that reason with players like Dillon Mitchell, Kel’el Ware, and Dereck Lively all being in the Top 20?
“I can’t speak to consensus lowering around New Year. I think the entire cycle has kind of revolved around his shot. When he makes it in bunches and doesn’t hesitate to shoot, it’s clear to see a ton of NBA potential. If the shot doesn’t go in or he’s really reluctant when open, his playstyle and lack of athletic burst show even more.”
-Anonymous Scout #2
While this is a great take in terms of a more holistic analysis of what Jalen has done this season, the next scout addressed what they felt was the reason behind the hit Hood-Schifino's draft stock took at the beginning of the year.
“It’s a bit odd his stock went down because he found a bit of a stride, at least statistically, at the toughest part of the schedule against North Carolina, Iowa, and Kansas, but missed time against Arizona, Nebraska, and Rutgers in between some of those games. I think once he was given more of the keys to the offense at the start of January his role became more obvious and visible, particularly as a lead guard. Until the Northwestern game, he was a utility guy, but then he turned into a clear leader on the court.”
- Anonymous Scout #3
The matchups against UNC and Kansas were back-to-back, and Jalen scored 14 and 11 points in those contests, respectively. The game against Iowa was Hood-Schifino’s first 20-point game of the season. All three of the games mentioned in this scout-take were the first big games JHS had against significant competition. The Northwestern game that this scout referenced was Jalen’s coming out party, as he dropped 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting.
February Rise
Throughout the month of January, Hood-Schifino torched the competition. Against Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Maryland, Jalen averaged 14 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 4.2 APG, with shooting splits of 42/45/65. By the time the February Stock Market Update dropped, JHS’s stock had rapidly risen to 24th—over Dereck Lively II (25th), Kel’el Ware (27th), and Dillon Mitchell (36th). Was the level of competition the reason his stock price rose, or is that too simplistic of an approach?
“I think it was just the big games—we saw two 30+ point games within a month and a half, and the flashes became more common and stronger each time. Again, as he gained a clearer role within the offense, his stock noticeably rose.”
-Anonymous Scout #3
That role as a leader is what has won people over. JHS was able to show more of a well-rounded game as he began to grow more confident with his place on the team.
“The numbers definitely improved and this was against Big Ten competition so it stands out even more. The 3 point shot went up even more and the turnovers decreased. In that January stretch we also got a glimpse of the explosions JHS can have, with single games of 33, 24, and 21 points. He also had an assist game, with 9.”
- Anonymous Scout #1
Playing at Indiana
Over the past few seasons, scouts and analysts have had to work very hard to assess where to rank a prospect within their class. Sometimes the fit isn’t perfect. Their role isn’t ideal. The roster composition isn’t complementary to their strengths. The fact that Hood-Schifino has been able to carve out a prominent role on a team that has one of the best collegiate players in Trayce Jackson-Davis has been an impressive development. It also doesn’t hurt that, as a young guard, Jalen has Mike Woodson as his head coach. With Indiana winning more games than they’ve lost this season, there is a bit of a boost to Jalen’s stock due to the fact that we’ve seen his production contribute to Ws.
“I think having someone like TJD helps amplify what JHS does. To me, good players usually look even better when playing with other good players and at the next level you obviously have to be able to play with good basketball players. I also think it probably helps draw eyes to JHS since TJD is a pretty interesting name in the 2023 NBA draft himself.”
- Anonymous Scout #1
“As far as playing with IU, I think it’s good to know that he’s smart at reading the pick-and-roll when he plays with a vertical lob threat. There are some good defensive teams in the Big Ten, so his work in ball screens against those good teams is helpful. What I love about the TJD pairing is that Jalen trusts his teammates on the short roll.”
- Anonymous Scout #2
“I think playing under Mike Woodson has generally been good for him, especially given Woodson’s NBA success—knowing what it takes to get to and succeed at the next level. Playing next to a great P&R big, and overall dominant big, has made his life easier, but it has also made it a bit tougher to get to the rim given the the college spacing and ability for defenses to pack the paint. Overall, though, TJD and JHS have been a great match, and that can only show what Hood-Schifino will do for other NBA bigs.”
- Anonymous Scout #3
“I think Indiana both helps and hurts his development. It helps because they run a ton of DHO and PnR and as the lead ball handler. JHS has gotten a ton of reps executing passes and reading defense. He likes to pull up, and has gotten to figure out his diet of pull ups and floaters at different distances vs. clogged paints.
It hurts a bit because the offense is so centered around TJD. JHS has done well to set up TJD up and play off of him, but post dominant offenses are just not the NBA game, and JHS has not gotten to get as many finishing reps around the hoop as I’d like to see for a PG prospect.”
- Anonymous Scout #4
Guard Peers
With the rising and falling of Hood-Schifino’s draft stock, Big Boards have been shuffled throughout the draft cycle. With four editions of Big Boards being dropped on the No Ceilings website, Jalen has been ranked 18th, 23rd, 16th, and 12th on those boards, respectively. While those rankings have typically been higher than other outlets, JHS has rarely been ranked higher than some of the more popular guards or playmakers within this draft class.
“If I were to tier those guys out, it would look like this: Scoot, then Amen, then Nick Smith Jr. and Keyonte George, then Anthony Black and Cason Wallace, and then Jalen Hood-Schifino. As much as JHS has risen on my draft board I would still have him a tier below those guys, but not all that far behind because I do have every one of those other guys in my lottery.”
- Anonymous Scout #1
The book isn’t written for any of the scouts that have been questioned for today’s piece, but there does seem to be some separation regarding Jalen and the other guards/playmakers that are his contemporaries.
“This will be a big push to the end of the season for Jalen. We’ve seen some masterful performances (Purdue) and some stretches where he can really shoot the ball, from midrange and for 3. We’ve also seen a lot of misses and some inconsistent games. He’s got lottery upside, but he needs to both show well and be consistent this March to make sure he elevates over some other guards and wings in that same range.”
- Anonymous Scout #2
“Jalen probably ranks four or fifth in that list [Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson, Nick Smith Jr., Keyonte George, Anthony Black, and Cason Wallace] for me. I think there is some bust potential for both Arkansas guys, and with Hood-Schifino’s floor being so high as a freshman, that has to factored into the ranking. Additionally, his ceiling is really high as well, so not many of those other guys after Amen Thompson and Scoot Henderson have the combination of high floor and high ceiling.”
- Anonymous Scout #3
“Among those guards, I’d view him close to Keyonte at the bottom of the group, with Black slightly ahead. I’m higher on the rest. The conundrum is that JHS is probably the smartest PnR handler outside of Scoot, and he probably has a better handler than Amen, Cason, and Keyonte. But those PnR smarts and confidence usually do not compensate for average athleticism and average shooting.”
- Anonymous Scout #4
Player Comp
It’s not for everyone, but some scouts will look at player comps as a way to understand how successful a prospect could be. Any analyst will tell you that when they make a player comparison, it isn’t a one-for-one, side-by-side evaluation. Rather, it’s more of a “shades of” comparison—or prospect chemistry as we like to call it at No Ceilings. For Jalen, he is a player that isn’t the most athletic (despite not being deficient in that area), but he is a savvy player that can get to his spots with consistency. Who does that remind others of?
“There’s some (bigger) Mike Conley to his game; defense (Conley has the edge here, but Hood-Schifino is still a positive defensively), strong floater, and P&R savant. Another name I’d say he could blend with Conley is Markell Fultz. We often forget Fultz is actually a pretty strong (top 35) mid range scorer, good defender, and a great playmaker.”
- Anonymous Scout #3
What’s awesome about the Mike Conley comparison is that this scout wasn’t alone in bringing up the former Ohio State prospect as a player comparison.
“If there are players he should shoot for, it’s Mike Conley and Malcolm Brogdon. Conley had a better first step, but JHS can compensate for that a bit with his brain. And his poise and confidence is probably the best in the guard cluster besides Scoot. He just needs a bit of an athleticism boost and really rep out that jumper.
Brogdon was older and stronger, but plays with a similar pace and understanding of how to add and subtract as an indicator or connector as the situation dictates.”
- Anonymous Scout #4
NBA Projection
While not everyone goes down the rabbit hole of figuring out the perfect player comparison, all scouts will try to prognosticate the ultimate role and outcome a prospect will end up having. And that’s because, well, that’s how one determines how a player ranks in comparison to their class. Jalen Hood-Schifino has become enigmatic to this point, so it should serve as no surprise that some scouts have differing takes on who JHS could ultimately become as a professional basketball player.
“Jalen has some tremendous flashes. He’s never rushed, is excellent at getting to his spots in the mid-range, and has tremendous feel out of ball screens. I like guys who just make the right, simple play. He’s a good athlete on D but not explosive on O. He knows how to operate below the rim, though. I’d like to see him add a mismatch post element if he’s going to be an NBA point guard, where he can take smaller defenders onto the blocks.”
- Anonymous Scout #1
“I’m thinking he ends up being more of a combo guard than a true point guard, which at 6’6 is something that he can provide a lot of value in being. The 3-point shooting numbers (with the FT%) look like the shot will be good enough to play off the ball, and he obviously has a strong build.”
- Anonymous Scout #2
“I see a very high floor with a great ceiling, depending on how well his shot translates and develops. Right now he should be entering, at a minimum, near lottery discussions. It’s a guard-driven league, and 6’6 playmakers with great in-between scoring don’t come around frequently.”
- Anonymous Scout #3
“JHS is very, very intelligent. But he will need to shoot high 30s minimum from 3 to get to contracts number 2 and 3. He has size, but his defensive ground coverage is not great, even in the Big Ten. And he doesn’t create separation super easy.”
- Anonymous Scout #4
Gillaspie’s Top 100
With the season entering tourney time, I wanted to debut my Top 100 prospects for the year, as of now. For those of you that are NBA fans that are looking for players that could be taken by your team in the First Round, Second Round, or signed as undrafted free agents, may this ranking serve you well. As the season progresses, this list will be updated. Let’s take a look at who’s where!
Victor Wembanyama | 7’2” | 229 lbs. | Forward | Metropolitans 92
Scoot Henderson | 6’2” | 195 lbs. | Guard | Ignite
Brandon Miller | 6’9” | 200 lbs. | Forward | Alabama
Jarace Walker | 6’8” | 240 lbs. | Forward | Houston
Cam Whitmore | 6’7” | 232 lbs. | Forward | Villanova
Ausar Thompson | 6’7” | 207 lbs. | Wing | OTE City Reapers
Keyonte George | 6’4” | 185 lbs. | Guard | Baylor
Amen Thompson | 6’7” | 202 lbs. | Guard | OTE City Reapers
Jalen Hood-Schifino | 6’6” | 213 lbs. | Guard | Indiana
Gradey Dick | 6’8” | 205 lbs. | Wing | Kansas
Taylor Hendricks | 6’9” | 210 lbs. | Forward | UCF
Cason Wallace | 6’4” | 193 lbs. | Guard | Kentucky
Anthony Black | 6’7” | 198 lbs. | Perimeter | Arkansas
Jett Howard | 6’8” | 215 lbs. | Wing | Michigan
Nick Smith Jr. | 6’5” | 185 lbs. | Guard | Arkansas
Brice Sensabaugh | 6’6” | 235 lbs. | Wing | Ohio State
Gregory “GG” Jackson | 6’9” | 215 lbs. | Forward | South Carolina
Kris Murray | 6’8” | 220 lbs. | Forward | Iowa
Max Lewis | 6’7” | 195 lbs. | Wing | Pepperdine
Rayan Rupert | 6’6” | 192 lbs. | Wing | New Zealand Breakers
Jordan Hawkins | 6’5” | 195 lbs. | Wing | Connecticut
Colby Jones | 6’6” | 205 lbs. | Wing | Xavier
Dariq Whitehead | 6’7” | 220 lbs. | Wing | Duke
Trayce Jackson-Davis | 6’9” | 245 lbs. | Big | Indiana
Adem Bona | 6’10” | 235 lbs. | Big | UCLA
Kobe Bufkin | 6’4” | 195 lbs. | Guard | Michigan
Noah Clowney | 6’10” | 210 lbs. | Big | Alabama
Marcus Sasser | 6’2” | 195 lbs. | Guard | Houston
Julian Phillips | 6’8” | 198 lbs. | Forward | Tennessee
Sidy Cissoko | 6’8” | 200 lbs. | Forward | Ignite
DaRon Holmes II | 6’10” | 220 lbs. | Big | Dayton
Terquavion Smith | 6’4” | 165 lbs. | Guard | NC State
Azuolas Tubelis | 6’11” | 245 lbs. | Big | Arizona
Jalen Wilson | 6’8” | 225 lbs. | Forward | Kansas
Dereck Lively II | 7’1” | 230 lbs. | Big | Duke
Mike Miles Jr. | 6’2” | 195 lbs | Guard | TCU
Brandin Podziemski | 6’5” | 205 lbs. | Guard | Santa Clara
Julian Strawther | 6’7” | 205 lbs. | Wing | Gonzaga
Kyle Filipowski | 7’ | 230 lbs. | Big | Duke
Leonard Miller | 6’10” | 211 lbs. | Forward | Ignite
Jaime Jaquez Jr. | 6’7” | 225 lbs. | Forward | UCLA
Tucker DeVries | 6’7” | 210 lbs. | Wing | Drake
Ricky Council IV | 6’6” | 205 lbs. | Wing | Arkansas
Nikola Durisic | 6’8” | 214 lbs. | Wing | Mega
Reece Beekman | 6’3” | 190 lbs. | Guard | Virginia
Andre Jackson Jr. | 6’6” | 210 lbs. | Wing | Connecticut
Jaylen Clark | 6’5” | 205 lbs. | Wing | UCLA
Arthur Kaluma | 6’7” | 225 lbs. | Forward | Creighton
Donovan Clingan | 7’2” | 265 lbs. | Big | Connecticut
James Nnaji | 6’11” | 250 lbs. | Big | Barcelona
Bilal Coulibaly | 6’6” | 200 lbs. | Wing | Metropolitans 92
Tyrese Proctor | 6’5” | 175 lbs. | Guard | Duke
Trevon Brazile | 6’10” | 212 lbs. | Big | Arkansas
Mark Mitchell | 6’8” | 220 lbs. | Forward | Duke
Bobi Klintman | 6’10” | 225 lbs. | Forward | Wake Forest
Isaiah Wong | 6’4” | 184 lbs. | Guard | Miami
Kevin McCullar | 6’6” | 210 lbs. | Wing | Kansas
Jordan Walsh | 6’7” | 205 lbs. | Wing | Arkansas
Nae’Qwan Tomlin | 6’10” | 210 lbs. | Forward | Kansas State
Oso Ighodaro | 6’9” | 215 lbs. | Big | Marquette
Amari Bailey | 6’5” | 185 lbs. | Guard | UCLA
Zach Edey | 7’4” | 305 lbs. | Big | Purdue
Kel’el Ware | 7’ | 210 lbs. | Big | Oregon
Jalen Slawson | 6’7” | 215 lbs. | Forward | Furman
Jaylen Forbes | 6’5” | 192 lbs. | Wing | Tulane
Emoni Bates | 6’9” | 190 lbs. | Wing | Eastern Michigan
Olivier-Maxence Prosper | 6’8” | 230 lbs. | Forward | Marquette
Ryan Kalkbrenner | 7’1” | 260 lbs. | Big | Creighton
Riley Kugel | 6’5” | 207 lbs. | Wing | Florida
Adam Flagler | 6’3” | 185 lbs. | Guard | Baylor
Keyontae Johnson | 6’6” | 230 lbs. | Forward | Kansas State
Tyler Burton | 6’7” | 215 lbs. | Forward | Richmond
Jordan Miller | 6’7” | 195 lbs. | Forward | Miami
Terrence Shannon Jr. | 6’6” | 225 lbs. | Wing | Illinois
D’Moi Hodge | 6’4” | 188 lbs. | Guard | Missouri
Judah Mintz | 6’3” | 172 lbs. | Guard | Syracuse
Kobe Johnson | 6’6” | 200 lbs. | Wing | USC
Kobe Brown | 6’8” | 250 lbs. | Forward | Missouri
Dillon Mitchell | 6’8” | 205 lbs. | Forward | Texas
Trey Alexander | 6’4” | 190 lbs. | Guard | Creighton
Keshon Gilbert | 6’4” | 190 lbs. | Guard | UNLV
Eric Gaines | 6’2” | 165 lbs. | Guard | UAB
Javian McCollum | 6’2” | 155 lbs. | Guard | Siena
Jacob Toppin | 6’9” | 205 lbs. | Forward | Kentucky
Coleman Hawkins | 6’10” | 225 lbs. | Forward | Illinois
Walter Clayton Jr. | 6’2” | 195 lbs. | Guard | Iona
Oumar Ballo | 7’ | 260 lbs. | Big | Arizona
Taran Armstrong | 6’6” | 190 lbs. | Guard | Cal Baptist
Paulius Murauskas | 6’8” | 220 lbs. | Forward | Lietkabelis
Jalen Pickett | 6’4” | 209 lbs. | Wing | Penn State
Baba Miller | 6’11” | 204 lbs. | Forward | Florida State
Tyrese Hunter | 6’ | 175 lbs. | Guard | Texas
Josiah-Jordan James | 6’6” | 224 lbs. | Forward | Tennessee
Mojave King | 6’5” | 195 lbs. | Wing | Ignite
Bryce Hopkins | 6’7” | 220 lbs. | Forward | Providence
KJ Adams Jr. | 6’7” | 225 lbs. | Big | Kansas
Drew Peterson | 6’9” | 205 lbs. | Wing | USC
Terrance Arceneaux | 6’5” | 190 lbs. | Wing | Houston
Ben Sheppard | 6’6” | 190 lbs. | Wing | Belmont
Drew Pember | 6’11” | 215 lbs. | Forward | UNC Asheville