Penn State Sports Magazine
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6 0 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ermakers, then dropping seemingly win- nable games against Nebraska, Wisconsin (in overtime) and Maryland. Counted upon as one of the team's best leaders, Pickett acknowledged prior to the 74-68 road setback against the Ter- rapins that the group was facing increased pressure. "It's do-or-die at this point. Guys have got to lock in as a team, myself included," he said. "We've got to make some tough decisions with what we want to do with our time, on and off the court. "Everybody has one goal here. We want to go to the tournament. We feel like we're in a good position. If we finish strong, we can make it. Guys have got to want it." Delivering For PSU Pickett had recognized heading into the season that the team would need time to acclimate, with eight new players — three transfers and five true freshmen — arriv- ing in State College. Pickett himself had been a transfer, ar- riving from Siena ahead of the 2021-22 season. He went on to lead the team in scoring (13.3 points per game) in his first year with the Nittany Lions, and embold- ened by the success of that debut, he was confident that the new mix of players could put PSU's aspirations within reach. "The No. 1 goal is to always compete for Big Ten championships and the NCAA Tournament," he said at the time. "Right now, I think we have a locked-in group. We feel like we have a group now that can finish some of those games off. We've got guys like Seth Lundy and Myles Dread, who have been here for four or five years and want to leave a legacy. So, they're playing for that. "We've got a whole bunch of guys trying to do a whole bunch of different things, but we all have one goal in com- mon, and that's winning." While the team is still fighting to achieve those goals, Pickett has undeni- ably delivered for PSU. His 36.1 minutes per game through 25 games were the most in the Big Ten. And, with just six contests remaining in the regular season, he had scored in double figures in 20 consecu- tive games. The focal point of opponents' defensive game plans every night, Pickett has been a challenge for the rest of the league. He's a scoring threat from anywhere on the floor, and when opponents double him with size, the 6-foot-4, 209-pound point guard is able to get the ball to his team- mates. "He's one of the toughest guys to pre- pare for in this league," Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said, "just because of his versatility and his ability to take advan- tage of a mismatch." Professional Aspirations Whether or not that talent will trans- late into an NBA future is unclear at this point. Currently in the midst of his bonus year of eligibility, he's certain to move on from Penn State after the season con- cludes, and he will surely test the waters of professional basketball. Shrewsberry is well acquainted with the world that Pickett will soon be look- ing to enter. He was an assistant during Brad Stevens' tenure as head coach of the Boston Celtics from 2013 to 2019, before returning to Matt Painter's bench at Pur- due and eventually leaving for Penn State. The first step, Shrewsberry said, will be to find an advocate at the next level. "In the NBA, you've got to get some- body to believe in you, first of all. You've got to have some person that believes in you and gives you a chance," the coach said. Given his performances and consis- tency throughout the past two seasons, Shrewsberry is confident Pickett can find that person. After that, the onus will be on him to create value within an organi- zation. "If he continues to play the way he's playing, he's starting to turn more heads. People are starting to take a little more notice. So, maybe he is getting somebody to believe in him, and that's the biggest thing," Shrewsberry said. "There are a lot of talented people that are not playing in the NBA because of a myriad of different reasons. Some of those reasons, you're not going to run up against with him. "He's not going to get in trouble. He's going to do what he's supposed to do. He's going to work on his game. That's who he is. He's a hard worker, so he's go- ing to earn a spot, I think. And then he has to take advantage of it when he gets there." Pickett boasts attributes that are cov- eted in the NBA, including an ability to pass and to play out of the pick-and-roll. He's a strong and versatile defender and is willing to be physical. Still, his sticking power will depend on the make-or-miss reality that confronts all professional basketball players. "He's got to continue to shoot it the way he shot it here recently to help him," Shrewsberry said. "I think he gets a chance. ... He's going to leave here with a great reputation as a person. Now you get to the end of the bench, and those are the kind of guys you want." ■ P E N N S T A T E M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L S C H E D U L E Date Opponent Time (TV) Nov. 7 WINTHROP W, 93-68 Nov. 10 LOYOLA (Md.) W, 90-65 Nov. 14 BUTLER* W, 68-62 Nov. 17 Furman** W, 73-68 Nov. 18 Virginia Tech** L, 61-59 Nov. 20 Colorado State** W, 68-56 Nov. 25 LAFAYETTE W, 70-57 Nov. 29 at Clemson L, 101-94 (2OT) Dec. 7 MICHIGAN STATE L, 67-58 Dec. 10 at Illinois W, 74-59 Dec. 18 CANISIUS W, 97-67 Dec. 22 QUINNIPIAC W, 77-68 Dec.29 DELAWARE STATE W, 60-46 Jan. 1 IOWA W, 83-79 Jan. 4 at Michigan L, 79-69 Jan. 8 Purdue ^^ L, 76-63 Jan. 11 INDIANA W, 85-66 Jan. 17 at Wisconsin L, 63-60 Jan. 21 NEBRASKA W, 76-65 Jan. 24 at Rutgers L, 65-45 Jan. 29 MICHIGAN W, 83-61 Feb. 1 at Purdue L, 80-60 Feb. 5 at Nebraska L, 72-63 Feb. 8 WISCONSIN L, 79-74 (OT) Feb. 11 at Maryland L, 74-68 Feb. 14 ILLINOIS 7 p.m. (ESPNU) Feb. 18 at Minnesota 9 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 23 at Ohio State 6:30 p.m. (FS1) Feb. 26 RUTGERS 6:30 p.m. (BTN) March 1 at Northwestern 9 p.m. (BTN) March 5 MARYLAND Noon (BTN) Mar. 8-12 Big Ten Tournament # TBA * Gavitt Tipoff Games ** at Charleston (S.C.) Classic ^ ACC/Big Ten Challenge ^^ at Philadelphia/The Palestra # at Chicago/United Center