Penn State Sports Magazine
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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 4 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M THREE STARS 1. Jalen Pickett | G | Sr.+ Pickett produced his sixth double-double of the season in a 76-65 win over Nebraska on Jan. 21. The 6-foot-4 point guard collected 12 points and 13 re- bounds, maintaining his place as the team's leading re- bounder at 7.9 boards per outing. The Lions' per-game leader in scoring (17.4), rebounds, assists (7.1) and minutes (35.7), Pickett picked up a handful of midsea- son All-America nods for his performance this season. 2. Seth Lundy | G/F | Sr. Lundy has been consistent and impactful on both ends of the floor in his best season as a Nittany Lion. Disregarding a Jan. 17 game at Wisconsin in which he played just 22 minutes and scored 2 points because of foul trouble, Lundy was averaging 16.2 points per outing since the resumption of the Big Ten season on New Year's Day. Along the way, he topped 1,000 points for his Penn State career in a blowout win over Indiana on Jan. 11. 3. Andrew Funk | G | Sr.+ Needing one of two final looks from deep to go down in the final seconds at Wisconsin, Funk couldn't connect, and the Nittany Lions finished on the losing end of a 63-60 decision. But the super senior guard bounced back. Tying his season high with 23 points against the Cornhuskers, just 10 days after doing it against Indiana at the Bryce Jordan Center, Funk confirmed his place as one of the nation's most prolific three-point shooters. KEY MOMENT Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry had seen enough. His Nittany Li- ons were unable to operate offensively against Purdue's aggressive defense in a Jan. 8 matchup at the Palestra in Philadelphia. The No. 1 Boilermakers were being allowed to go unchecked by the officiating crew, and Shrewsberry's frustration eventually boiled over. For the second time in his ca- reer at Penn State, he drew a technical foul. The Nittany Lions went on to lose 76-63, and Shrewsberry spent his postgame press conference detailing his frustrations not just with the officiating that afternoon, but with the treatment his team had received throughout his two seasons in State College. He also called out Penn State's seniors. After back- to-back losses that dropped the Lions to 2-3 in the Big Ten and 11-5 overall, the team's mettle was under the microscope, Shrewsberry said. Subsequent performances — a blowout win over Indiana, a narrow loss at Wisconsin and a victory over Nebraska in a must-win scenario — were the payoff. BEST HIGHLIGHT Lundy and Funk made 7 three-pointers apiece in the 85-66 win over Indiana on Jan. 11. As a team, the Nittany Lions tied a program record, set earlier in the season, with 18 makes from beyond the arc on 31 at- tempts. At 58.1 percent, it was the Lions' second-best three-point efficiency rate of the season. BOLD PREDICION Competitive losses in January to the Big Ten's best opponents will become competitive wins for the Nittany Lions in February. Shrewsberry's ability to develop a team has, at this point, been firmly established during his time at Penn State. This is a group that knows how to counter what's coming on both ends of the floor. A healthy, experienced team with time to jell should show its potential in the second half of the conference season. — Nate Bauer Senior guard Jalen Pickett went 6 of 8 from the floor and finished with 12 points in Penn State's 76-65 victory over Nebraska on Jan. 21. A day earlier, he was named a third-team Midseason All-American by The Sporting News. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE tempts from beyond the arc. Among the volume shooters for the Nittany Lions this season, those numbers are second in each category. That Lundy has continued to excel in his defensive responsibilities, often guarding the opponent's best scorer, has made his performance on the offensive end that much more impressive. He has averaged a career-best 6.2 rebounds per game, and on a team that graduated one of the better rebounders in school his- tory in John Harrar, those contributions have been critical. Joining a club of 1,000-point scorers now numbering 39 players in program history, Lundy said he was proud of the accomplishment. "It's a great feeling. Not a lot of people do it. To be a part of that club, it's defi- nitely special. Myles Dread did it too, so it's a great feeling for him as well," Lundy said. "We've got five 1,000-point scorers, and that's unheard of, honestly. I don't know how many teams in the country have got that. Maybe we're the only ones. That's special." They're not quite the only ones. San Diego and Alabama Birmingham also boast five members of the 1,000-point club. It is a rare distinction, though, and Shrewsberry said it reflected well on Lundy to be a part of such an effort. "For him to get 1,000 points, that's special. He's earned it," the coach said. "It takes some continuity. You've got to do some stuff early as a freshman. You've got to do some stuff each year and be pretty consistent. Him getting to 1,000 is an accomplishment. "And now, Seth, Myles, Cam, Pick- ett, Funk — we've got five guys on our team that have scored over 1,000 points. That's a big accomplishment for a team. There are probably not many. We're old now. We've been playing some college basketball. We've got some years behind us." Shrewsberry and his players are de- termined to parlay those years, points, and the experience that accompanied all of it into a season of successes for Penn State basketball. The Nittany Lions are armed with the kind of talent and scor- ing potential they've rarely had in the program's history, putting their lofty goals within reach. ■ PENN STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL SUPERLATIVES DEC. 22-JAN. 21