Longhorns' Timmy Allen 'Loves' Matchup vs. Penn State's Jalen Pickett in March Madness
DES MOINES, IOWA - Sometimes, there's no reason to waste time getting to the point.
Jalen Pickett is the deciding factor for the No. 10 seed Penn State Nittany Lions and their March Madness hopes, and the No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns have no choice but to acknowledge this headed into Saturday's matchup in the Round of 32 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
This makes getting him off his groove at the top of the defensive to-do list for the Longhorns.
But it's forward Timmy Allen who is taking this responsibility against Pickett head-on, as Allen's versatility makes him Texas' best bet against one of the best guards in college basketball.
"I love matchups like that," Allen said. "Nothing different than what I've gone up against all year, so, yeah, I'm excited."
Pickett, an All-American Second-Team selection this season, is the engine that makes the Nittany Lions run and often does so in seemingly effortless fashion. He leads the team in average points (17.9), minutes (36.5), rebounds (7.3), assists (6.7) and steals (0.9), which should tell you something.
His passing ability understandably commands the attention, and is enough to scare any defense. This season, Pickett is fifth in the country in assists per game, fourth in total assists (242) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (3.14). There's a reason he's one of just a handful of players to record a triple-double this season.
"I think he's a great player," Allen said. "We've broken down some of his film. He's a guy who can get a lot of buckets himself, rebound the ball, pass the ball. That's something I admire. I feel like I'm that way, too."
Pickett hardly presents any glaring offensive weakness in his game, especially after posting 19 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in a 79-59 blowout win over the seventh-seeded Texas A&M Aggies on Thursday.
Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry has even said that Pickett's ability in the post is something that the team only recently started to take advantage of, which could make Allen an even better defensive matchup due to his size advantage.
Though Marcus Carr, Tyrese Hunter and Sir'Jabari Rice are hardly slouches on the defensive end in the backcourt, they could potentially get caught in situations where Pickett has the advantage more often than not, which is something the Longhorns can't afford if they want to advance to the Sweet 16.
But when Allen owns up to personal defensive responsibility like this, there's reason for Texas to breath a bit easier.
"It's definitely something I'm excited for and something I focus on going into games," Allen said. "He's a great player, and I'm just trying to make him uncomfortable as much as I can."
The Longhorns and Nittany Lions tip-off at 6:45 p.m. CT on Saturday.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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