Jalen Pickett Is Penn State's First All-American Since 1955
Penn State point guard Jalen Pickett, who is having the program's best season in decades, is getting rewarded for it.
On Tuesday, two days before Penn State meets Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament, the Associated Press named Pickett as a second-team All-American. Pickett became the first player in Penn State history named to the AP All-America second team. Five other players earned honorable mention: Jesse Arnelle (1954-55), Bob Weiss (1965), Carver Clinton (1966). Pete Lisicky (1996) and Talor Battle (2011).
Pickett, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, is Penn State's first All-American since 1955. The Sporting News named Pickett as a second-team All-American, the program's first such award since Arnelle was named a second-team All-American in 1955. He also was named a second-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and a third-team All-American by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
Pickett is just the third Nittany Lion to earn first-, second- or third-team All-America honors, joining Arnelle and John Barr (a 1941 third-team selection).
Pickett, who has played the past two seasons at Penn State after transferring from Siena, lifted the Lions (22-12) to the Big Ten Tournament championship game and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. The 10th-seeded Lions meet No. 7 Texas A&M in a Midwest Region first-round game in Dayton, Ohio.
Pickett is the nation's only player averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists per game. According to Penn State, just two players have finished a season with those numbers over the past 30 years: Michigan State's Denzel Valentine, who was named the AP national player of the year in 2016, and Memphis' Penny Hardaway in 1993.
Pickett ranks fourth nationally in assists per game (7) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.27). He also is the first Penn State player named to the Wooden Award ballot and is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard.
During a three-game win streak in February, Pickett averaged 32 points per game and produced the program's first 40-point performance since 1961. He also scored the Lions' last 14 points in a 75-71 win over Ohio State.
"He’s trying to will us every single game to something," Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry told reporters in Columbus after the game. "... When you've got a guy like that, you ride him as long as you can."
Pickett has scored 20 points 13 times this season and has produced six double-double performances and one triple-double. He became the first Penn State player with 200 assists in a season.
In Big Ten games, Pickett ranks among the top five in scoring, rebounding, assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and field-goal percentage.
Arnelle remains the only Penn State player to earn first-team All-America honors (in 1954). He was second-team in 1955 and third-team in 1952 and '53. The last Penn State player to earn honorable mention All-America status was Talor Battle in 2011 (Associated Press).
The Sporting News, AP, NABC and USBWA teams are the four used to determine consensus All-Americans. The others are the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the United States Basketball Writers Association.
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