Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1488968
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 9 OPENING SHOT FLOOR LEADER Jalen Pickett's stat line popped off the box score when the Penn State men's basketball team opened its Big Ten season Dec. 7 against visiting Michigan State. The super senior guard had 13 points, 8 assists and a career-high 17 rebounds — another stellar night for one of the conference's most productive players. And yet, Pickett and the rest of the Nittany Lions were glum as they filed out of the Bryce Jordan Center. They had lost 67-58, in large part because coach Tom Izzo's team had more luck contain- ing their perimeter shooting than any of their previous opponents. The Lions went 8 of 27 from three-point range, including a 1-for-9 performance in the second half. Pickett wasn't immune from those difficulties. He went 1 of 5 from beyond the arc and also missed a few in the paint, too. "He went 5 of 14 [from the floor], and he's back- ing guys to the concession stand," coach Micah Shrewsberry said. "You've got to make them. It's a make-or-miss game. "I love 'Pick.' Dude had 17 rebounds tonight. He had 8 assists. He's doing a lot for us. He's probably mad that some of those opportunities near the basket, some that he normally makes, he just missed them. Sometimes that's the game. When you get the ball in the paint, you've got to convert." Despite those difficulties, Shrewsberry was reso- lute after the loss. "We're going to fix our problems," the second- year coach said. "We're going to fix our issues, and we'll have a chance in every single game we play." Players, too, exuded determination. Said Pickett, "It was just one game. We're going to bounce back. We're going to get better." They weren't kidding. When the Nittany Lions resumed their season three days later with a visit to 17th-ranked Illi- nois, they pulled off one of the bigger wins in the program's recent history. Shooting 12 of 24 from three-point range, Penn State sprinted out to a 9-point halftime lead and pulled away after the break for a 74-59 win. Pickett went 9 of 17 from the floor, tying for the team lead with 20 points, and he added 7 rebounds and 6 assists. As much as his scoring, it was his capacity to make everyone else on the floor better that helped Penn State improve to 7-3 on the season. "He's so unselfish," said senior guard Myles Dread, who finished with 15 points. "He's trying to find guys. He tells us, just stay open, stay ready. He's picking people apart. He's making our jobs really easy, and it's a joy to have." — Matt Herb • Photo by Daniel Althouse