Blue White Illustrated

March 2023

Penn State Sports Magazine

Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1492675

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 58 of 75

M A R C H 2 0 2 3 5 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M J alen Pickett knew what to say. Named one of 10 candidates for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year award in February, the fifth-year senior was characteristically gracious. Pickett had performed like one of the country's best players throughout the 2022-23 campaign, averaging 17.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.9 assists. He also claimed the unusual distinction of being Penn State's leading scorer, most accurate shooter and top rebounder. And he had nearly four times as many assists as any of his teammates, too. But when he humbly turned the wave of midseason recognition toward his fel- low Nittany Lions, the crux of Pickett's dilemma emerged. "I mean, it's great. A lot of hard work has been going into it," Pickett said. "I just want to give credit to my teammates. Those guys made a lot of shots that make me look good. I'm just really proud of these guys for helping me achieve these awards. "But, at the end of the day, if you have all these awards and you don't win or go where you want to, does it mean any- thing?" It's a question Pickett and his team- mates may have to live with long after the season ends. They had won enough games to stay in the thick of the Big Ten standings as of early February but were derailed by a late-season swoon. Pickett remained the focal point of opponents on both ends of the floor, joined by senior forward Seth Lundy, but contributions lagged elsewhere. Worse, Penn State's defensive attack plummeted. KenPom's analytics for ad- justed defense showed the team at No. 107 on Feb. 10, a precipitous fall from earlier in the season. The Nittany Lions' results reflected those trends. Beginning with a trip to Purdue on Feb. 1, they dropped four in a row, falling hard to the top-ranked Boil- MEN'S BASKETBALL HEAVY LIFTING Jalen Pickett has elevated the Lions during his two seasons leading their backcourt, but the team's ultimate goal — an NCAA Tournament berth — remains elusive N A T E B A U E R | N A T E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M With six games to play in the regular season, Pickett was fifth in the Big Ten in scoring (17.2 points per game) and first in minutes played (36.1 per game). PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Blue White Illustrated - March 2023