Naismith Player of the Year Midseason Team
ATLANTA – Penn State men's basketball senior Jalen Pickett is one of 30 players on the Naismith Player of Year Midseason Team, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club Thursday afternoon.
Pickett is the only player in the country averaging at least 17 points (17.3) per game, seven rebounds per game (7.8) and seven assists (7.0) per game. Only one men's college basketball player in the last 30 years (since 1992-93 season) 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 third nationally in assist-to-turnover (3.23) and fourth in assists per game (7.0) and spearheads the Penn State offense that leads the nation in fewest turnovers per game (8.7). 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 (seventh) and assists (first).
The six-foot-four guard has played his best in Big Ten play, averaging 18.3 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game and 6.4 assists per game through 13 conference contests. Pickett has tallied six 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 nine 20-point games this season, 22 double-digit scoring efforts, and has led Penn State in assists in 23 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 168 assists through 24 games this season, meaning he needs to average just 3.8 helpers per game through the remaining eight guaranteed games to best the school-record mark.
Pickett has put together a stellar collegiate career with career marks of 1,966 points, 693 rebounds and 766 assists through three seasons at Siena and two at Penn State. He is the only active Division I player with upwards of 1,900 career points, 600 career rebounds and 700 career assists.
The Naismith Player of the Year Midseason Team honor adds to Pickett's lengthy list of mid/late-season recognition that includes Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Top 10 Candidate, Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List, Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List and Sporting News Midseason All-America Third Team.
The 30-person Naismith Player of the Year Midseason Team will be narrowed down to 10 semifinalists on March 10 before four finalists will be announced on March 21. The winner will be announced on April 2.
