Sporting News Release
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – National midseason recognition continues to roll in for Penn State men's basketball senior Jalen Pickett, who has been named to The Sporting News Midseason All-America Third Team.
The Sporting News selected 15 total players to their Midseason All-America team, five on each of the first, second and third teams. Pickett was also named to the 50-person midseason watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented annually to the men's college basketball National Player of the Year by the USBWA, earlier this week.
Pickett is the only player in the country averaging at least 17 points (17.7) per game, seven rebounds per game (7.7) and seven assists (7.3) per game. Only one men's college basketball player in the last 30 years has finished the season averaging 17/7/7. Michigan State's Denzel Valentine finished the 2015-16 season averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game en route to first team All-America honors and Big Ten Player of the Year accolades.
Pickett ranks second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.74) and fourth in assists per game (7.3). The Rochester, N.Y. native is the only Big Ten player that ranks in the top 10 of the conference statistical standings in scoring (sixth), rebounding (10th) and assists (first).
The six-foot-four guard has played his best in Big Ten play, averaging 20.3 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game and 6.6 assists per game through seven conference contests. He's shooting 53.3% from the field, 50.0% percent from 3-point range and 80.8% from the free throw line in conference action.
Pickett has tallied five double-doubles and one triple-double this season, just the second triple-double in Penn State history. The do-it-all point guard has recorded eight 20-point games this season, 16 double-digit scoring efforts, and has led Penn State in assists in all 18 games.
Pickett is on track to set a Penn State single-season assists record. The current single-season Nittany Lion record stands with Tim Frazier's 198 assists in 2012. Pickett already has 131 assists through 18 games this season, meaning he needs to average just 4.8 helpers per game through the remaining 14 guaranteed games to best the school-record mark.
Pickett has put together a stellar collegiate career with career marks of 1,870 points, 644 rebounds and 729 assists through three seasons at Siena and two at Penn State. He is just one of three active Division I players with 1,800 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists and one of two active Division I players with upwards of 1,000 points and 700 assists. His 729 career assists are second amongst active Division I players.
Sporting News Midseason All-America Team
First Team
Zach Edey, Purdue
Brandon Miller, Alabama
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona
Jalen Wilson, Kansas
Second Team
Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Souley Boum, Xavier
Jaime Jaquez, UCLA
Mike Miles, TCU
Markquis Nowell, Kansas State
Third Team
Kendric Davis, Memphis
Adama Sanogo, UConn
Jalen Pickett, Penn State
Terquavion Smith, NC State
Kris Murray, Iowa
