Jalen Hood-Schifino, a Penn Hills native who was verbally committed to Pitt as a sophomore in 2019 before changing his mind, became NBA property Thursday when he was drafted in the first round — 17th overall — by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hood-Schifino played college basketball at Indiana for only one season, but it was productive stay in Bloomington.
During 2022-23, he averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The points and assists ranked second on the team. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year by media and conference coaches and was a four-time conference freshman of the week.
“He is a big, strong, versatile point guard,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said on the telecast immediately after Hood-Schifino was chosen. “He’s excellent (on) pick-and-roll. He shoots well off the dribble. He’s got the length and with a 6-(foot)-10 (inches) wing span and the athleticism, he can be a very good defender. “He still needs to work on consistency from the 3-point line. I wouldn’t call him an incredibly explosive athlete, but he’s athletic.”
After spending his pre-teen years in Penn Hills, Hood-Schifino moved to Charlotte, N.C., and later transferred to high school powerhouse Monteverde Academy in Orlando, Fla., where he won two national championships and was a Naismith third-team All-American.
A 6-foot-6, 213-pound guard with the ability and willingness to attack the rim, he helped Indiana to a 23-12 record (12-8 Big Ten) and into the NCAA Tournament where the Hoosiers defeated Kent State and lost to Miami.
Hood-Schifino, who turned 20 on Monday, comes from an athletic family. His mother, Adrianne “Angel” Hood-Schifino, played basketball at Lock Haven; and his father, Glenn Hood, was a quarterback at Santa Monica College. He also has an uncle, Vernon “Jake” Schifino Jr., who was a wide receiver at Akron and a fifth-round draft choice of the Tennessee Titans in 2002.
“It’s really hard to put (feelings) into words,” Hood-Schifino said on ESPN. “Right now, I don’t even know how I feel. It’s just like a surreal feeling.”
