LOUISVILLE
Few things single out a basketball player like a “1” on the front of an Indiana All-Star jersey.
Since being named Mr. Basketball last month, Trayce Jackson-Davis has had to live up to his self-made reputation on the court while accommodating various media appearances and other responsibilities off of it.
The 6-foot-8 Center Grove graduate scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds in Indiana’s 97-64 victory over Kentucky at Bellarmine University on Friday night. Tonight’s rematch against Kentucky at Bankers Life Fieldhouse is the final game of Jackson-Davis’ high school career.
Regardless the All-Star activity, Jackson-Davis is embracing every moment.
“I think my teammates all respect that and kind of know I have to go through some of these things, but at the same time they do some of the things as well,” he said. “We are kind of the best players from certain places, so they’ve been in that spotlight.”
Against the Kentucky All-Stars, Jackson-Davis started strong with seven of Indiana’s points as the visitors jumped to a 13-2 lead. His short banker 48 seconds into the game gave Indiana a 4-2 advantage and his next three baskets came on dunks.
Jackson-Davis sandwiched slams from assists from Jake LaRavia (Lawrence Central) and point guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville) around his extended-arm left-handed flush over a Bluegrass defender at the 14:25 mark.
Indiana All-Star coach Criss Beyers, the former Warren Central mentor, has had players from his program be named to represent the state against Kentucky. He has a sense for the amount of pressure a Mr. Basketball must shoulder in terms of making himself available to the media and to fans.
“Obviously, it’s hard for me to see what it’s really like, but I know how much people demand of his time,” said Beyers, who in March announced he was leaving to become the new boys basketball coach at Franklin Central.
“I think the roughest thing is he’s taking away from his teammates. He’s a team-first guy and he’s being kind of isolated and be different from the others. He’s a great kid who obviously has a great mom and dad and was raised right. Trayce is very respectful and very polite, but he always has been.”
New Castle graduate Mason Gillis, a 6-7 All-Star swingman sitting out this weekend’s games as he rehabilitates following two surgeries on his right knee, said Jackson-Davis is what he’s always been.
“I think people do kind of put stereotypes on Mr. Basketballs and Miss Basketballs that they think they’re better than everyone else,” Gillis said. “But he’s just another guy to us. We’ve known him our whole life and this is a reward that he’s gotten for his hard work. It hasn’t changed him at all.”
Jackson-Davis hoped to end his Trojan career at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but his squad lost to Ben Davis in the 4A semistate. He’ll get his chance tonight wearing the coveted No. 1 jersey.
“Just starting from my freshman year I had no idea what high school basketball was going to be like,” he said. “Going through year by year and getting better under coach (Zach) Hahn has been a blessing. I’m going to remember all my teammates I’ve had the past four years and making it as far as we did this season. Your teammates become your brothers, so that’s a part of my life that’s never going to be taken away.”
The girls game was won by Kentucky, 79-74, despite 12-point performances from Indiana Miss Basketball Jorie Allen of Bedford North Lawrence and Marquette Catholic’s Emma Nolan. Allen led Indiana with seven rebounds, but the team struggled from the free throw line, making 11 of 22.
