They dominated the paint for IU’s basketball programs during the 2022-23 athletic year on their way to becoming two of the all-time greats to wear the candy stripes.
And this week IU basketball reigned supreme when it came to the school’s athletes of the year honors.
Mackenzie Holmes and Trayce Jackson-Davis have been selected as the recipients of the IU Athlete of the Year award for the 2022-23 season for their elite performances on the hardwood.
The school announced the news in a release on Thursday.
“Congratulations to Mackenzie and Trayce for their well-deserved selections as our 2022-23 Athletes of the Year,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson in the release.
“As first-team All-Americans and Wooden Award finalists, they each enjoyed individual successes that rival those of any other past great that has played for our tradition-rich basketball programs. Every bit as important to their individual accomplishments, though, is the team success that each played such a big part in this past season. The 2022-23 year was one of our department’s most successful in decades, both in terms of individual and team successes. That fact makes this year’s award even that much more meaningful for these two all-time greats.”
Holmes led the IU women to a 28-4 record, the Big Ten title, and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Hailing from Gorham, Maine, Holmes averaged a team-high 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks in 2022-23. She was one of the nation’s most accurate shooters, making 68.0 percent from the floor. She was second in the nation and led the Big Ten in field goal percentage, fifth in field goals made (281), sixth in points scored (692), and seventh in points per game (22.3).
Holmes led the Hoosiers in scoring on 25 occasions this season while posting double figures in 31 games, scoring 20 points 19 times and three 30-point scoring efforts. Her nine double-doubles led the team, as six of her double-doubles occurred in conference play which ranks eighth all-time in a single season. She led the league in blocks (58) and blocks per game (1.9) and averaged 1.1 steals (35) per game. She set a season-high five blocks against Nebraska and Michigan while recording multiple blocks in 14 games. Holmes is now in the top five in scoring in school history (1,897) and second in all-time blocks (208).
Other awards for Holmes this season included the program’s first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. She is now a three-time All-Big Ten selection in her career. She has also been named a 2023 Lisa Leslie Award finalist, a 2023 Wade Trophy finalist, 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy semifinalist and 2023 USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year candidate.
Holmes will return for the IU program for the 2023-24 season.
Jackson-Davis claimed a similarly impressive set of senior season numbers and individual awards on his way to leading IU to second place in the Big Ten including a sweep of Purdue, and a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The 6-foot-9 Jackson-Davis was a consensus first-team All-American and winner of the Karl Malone award as the nation’s top power forward. He started 32 games as a senior and averaged 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.9 blocks per game, all career highs. He is the first Division I men’s basketball player to average at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in a season in over 25 years. Additionally, he was named All-Big Ten first team, All-Big Ten defensive team and was a five time Big Ten player of the week.
The Greenwood, Ind. product finished his Hoosier career third on the all-time program list for career points (2,258) and double-doubles (50). He holds the school record in both career rebounds (1,143) and blocked shots (270). TJD became the fifth player in Big Ten men’s basketball history to amass 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds. He was selected 57th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft to the Golden State Warriors.
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