Jalen Pickett

A dominant collegiate hooper, Jalen Picket transferred to Penn State after three seasons at Sienna, where he was MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2019, the MAAC Player of the Year in 2020 and a three-time First-team All-MAAC selection. During his time with the Nittany Lions, Pickett averaged 15.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. On Feb. 14, Pickett set a Penn State home record with 41 points in a win over Illinois. He also led the Big Ten in assists in 2022-23 with 6.6 per game. Pickett plays with a rare back-to-the-basket, penetrate and kick, triple-threat style. Although he stands at just 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, his physicality is advantageous on both ends of the court. Capable of switching into a variety of matchups and capitalizing against slower or weaker defenders, Pickett pairs diverse skills with toughness and poise. In addition to his facilitating and active rebounding, he shot 63.9 percent at the rim, 45.4 percent in the midrange and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc -- all well above average. If Moneyball were a basketball movie, Pickett would catch Billy Bean's eye. His unorthodox style orchestrated Penn St. at one of the slowest tempos in the country. However, the efficiency was excellent. Then-coach Micah Shrewsberry surrounded Pickett with shooters, and there's no reason to think Pickett can't be a high-IQ contributor with a similar environment around him at the next level. He has the decision-making and well-rounded game to carve out a valuable career.