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Best Point Guard in Division I: A Hometown Hero

Jalen Pickett may be a familiar name to Saints, and for good reason. The former Siena standout is making waves at Penn State in ways that have never been done before. Prior to his exemplary career under Micah Shrewsberry, Pickett was a three-time first-team All-MAAC player and the 2018-2019 MAAC rookie of the year. He recorded 1,139  career points with the Saints and starred in 60 career double-digit scoring games. The second-team All American is the Nittany Lions’ first since 1955. 

The 6’4” senior averages 17.9 points a game with 6.7 assists, which is ranked 5th in Division I. Additionally, he is shooting 52% from the floor. In Penn State’s win over Illinois on February 14, Pickett became the first Nittany Lion to record a 40-point game since 1961 with 41 points. Commonly referred to as the best point guard in the NCAA, Pickett led Shrewsberry’s squad to the ‘big dance’ for the first time in 12 years. 

This season, Jalen Pickett became the first player in Division I history to document 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists. Within the Big Ten, he ranked 5th in scoring, 8th in rebounding, and 1st in assists. In the Nittany Lions’ first-round upset win over the Texas A&M Aggies, Pickett was second on the team in scoring, behind Andrew Funk, with 19 points.  Behind Jalen Pickett, Penn State has the possibility to advance as far as the Elite 8.