Two former Indiana basketball players could be back in Bloomington this season, just not in the way Hoosiers fans are used to seeing them.
One will be in the stands. The other might be on the floor.
Trayce Jackson-Davis said he plans to show up Saturday to support his brother, Tayven Jackson, when the North Texas quarterback returns to Bloomington. Jackson-Davis made it clear where his loyalties will land for the day.
“I’m definitely gonna be repping the Mean Green with my brother. It’s always family first,” Jackson-Davis said on The Sam Acho’s Podcast. “I have no hate against Indiana by any means, but it’s definitely gonna be a Mean Green show, and I’ll be there front and center, cheering him on.”
That means IU crimson gets shelved for North Texas green, at least for one afternoon.
Another former Hoosier, C.J. Gunn, may end up back in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in December, only this time in Missouri colors. Multiple reports say Gunn has enrolled at Missouri and is trying to secure a fifth year of eligibility so he can play for the Tigers.
That would set up a Dec. 18 nonconference matchup that already has some real juice. Missouri is ranked No. 20 by national analyst Jon Rothstein after head coach Dennis Gates convinced Mark Mitchell to return to Columbia earlier this week.
Mitchell put together a big season last year, averaging 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. He became the second player in school history to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists.
If Gunn is cleared to play, he would bring a familiar shot profile back to Bloomington. In two seasons at DePaul, 90 percent of his field goal attempts came from beyond the arc, and he averaged 5.4 three-point attempts per game.
Gunn, a class of 2022 recruit, spent two seasons at Indiana and then two at DePaul. He originally committed to Archie Miller and kept that pledge after Mike Woodson was hired.
His role at Indiana was limited, but he became a regular starter at DePaul, starting 54 games in two years and averaging 13 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He shot 50% from the floor and 31.5% from three after leaving IU.
Mitchell is also pursuing a fifth year, so Missouri’s roster for that December trip is still unsettled.
Indiana has its own eligibility question in the mix, too. Veteran big man Sam Alexis is also actively seeking a fifth season.
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His next game brings him to Memorial Stadium for a matchup with Indiana, which adds a familiar face to an already notable return. Jackson-Davis will also have family in the stands, with his brother Trayce Jackson-Davis, the former Indiana basketball standout, expected to be there to support him. For Indiana fans, it is the kind of subplot that makes early-season games feel a little more personal. [Read more 🡒]