• 2nd-team All-American (2023)

• #13 NCAA Assist-to-Turnover Ratio Leader (2.89)

• #24 NCAA PER Leader

• Height w/o shoes: 6'2.0"

• Wingspan: 6'7.25"

• Max vertical: 33.0"

• 2-14-23, 41p, 8a, 2r vs Illinois.

• Penn State went 23-14 in 2022-23, and lost in the second round or the NCAA tournament (#10 seed).

STRENGTHS:

• A legit passer who holds a 2.89 assist-to-turnover ratio; 6.5 assists per game; sensed double teams well and found plenty of open shooters around the perimeter with his back-to-the-basket game; also showed an ability to run a half court offense and was excellent as a pick-and-roll ball handler

• Possessed a unique play style in the post, where his physicality and size as a point guard (6'4", 209 lbs.) allowed him to bully a ton of guards; used his post up game to continually eye the perimeter for open shooters; used his strength and power to be tough and to be finesse-like, meaning defenders backed off not wanting to play physical and used the space to take jump shots

• His three-point percentage was great at 38%. While he did not take a take a high volume of threes per game, he proved to be effective off the catch, shooting 40% on catch-and-shoot threes.

• His footwork and overall orchestration as an offensive player is excellent. It is not a modern game for a point guard by any stretch, but his footwork when gathering into his jumper and working in the post is what made him so effective

WEAKNESSES:

• He was an abysmal defender, which is unfortunate because of his frame and strength that he possesses. He got caught on plenty of screens and had a hard time recovering to his man in pick-and-roll situations

• He weirdly lacks athleticism; he gets into his offensive actions by being methodical and by posting up, not by blowing by his defenders; the quick twitch athleticism is also missing when we take a look at his perimeter defense; he struggled to keep up with his man a lot of the time

• His game is just not translatable to starting level play in the NBA; it is an outdated play style that just can't fit in this league; must show evolution within his play style before we consider him a fit in the league

OUTLOOK: Jalen Pickett was a very productive player at Penn State, showing great playmaking and passing instincts and skill while also being a relatively good shooter. His strength and size at the point guard position will always be an advantage for him. His unorthodox play style and lack of athleticism and defense will be hard to overlook for other teams, and therefore, it will be hard to find a defined, consistent role for him. It was even harder to come up with a player comparison for him, because no one plays like him. His offensive IQ and production in college should be an attractive starting point, and he is a guy who should be a priority in the undrafted free agent market.

• Player Comparison: Shades of Cory Joseph and Monte Morris

• Projected Draft Position: Undrafted

• Best Fits: Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards

Tier 5.5 : One contract player/5 or 6 years in the NBA

I have to watch and read about him to finish my prospect evaluation. He could benefit from returning next year on a lower-talented draft.

Best fit team :

Best Rank : 60. Lowest Rank : 68. Final Rank : 60.

Rank in the 2023 official NBA draft : 32 with the Denver Nuggets.

Tier 8) PROJECT/FRINGE ROTATIONAL PLAYER

• 6’3 solid body with 6’8 wingspan

• 23 years old

• PG with no real flash to his game but has gotten better every year and just plays solidly

• His handle needs work but he uses his body well to shield and just always keeps that dribble alive. Looks alittle loose though.

• Lives to use his body to post up and finish through smaller guards. Maybe alittle too much but it works.

• Solid driver and finisher when there isn’t too much traffic down low

• Mid range pull up and step back mid rangers are real part of his game

• 3 point shot is solidly good as well

• Passing instincts are good, nothing too crazy but understands the game and moves the ball to open players

• would have averaged 10 assists a game in college if shooters hit open looks but in the NBA think it will be more 5-8 apg type of guy

• Defense is solid but feet are alittle slow and discipline moving around screens is a struggle for him

• Malcolm Brogdon meets Mark Jackson

• RANGE: Rotation/Spot Starter PG ——————-Overseas

(18spots higher than consensus)

Strengths: Has a very nice post game and is not afraid of contact, overall solid finisher in his slow tempo type game, has a nice in between game as well, solid passer overall, has some sort of 3 point upside.

Weaknesses: Various concerns overall on defense, still needs some mechanical fixes on his jumper and has some concerns on his 3.

Unorthodox player who operates like both an oversized guard and an undersized big.

NBA COMP: Mark Jackson

Height: 6’2 Age: 23 Weight: 198 Wingspan: 6’7 Stats: 18, 7, 7, 1, 1 51, 38, 76%

PLUSES Uses his strength and especially his backside to back down defenders, steering them away to create space for leaning layups or fadeaway jumpers. Sometimes, he’ll even post up defenders all the way from the 3-point line.

Sets strong picks, which is a useful skill considering how many teams use inverted screens nowadays.

Spot-up shooting progressed in his final year of college. He made 38.1 percent of 3-point attempts. If this development is for real, it wouldn’t come as the biggest shocker, considering his soft touch on floaters, hook shots, and layups.

Skilled playmaker who limits mistakes.

Physical rebounder who racks up a ton of board for a guard.

MINUSES It might be a challenge finding a fit for him in the NBA since he has such an odd style of play.

What’s his real potential as a shooter? Made 34.7 percent of 3s and 73.3 percent of free throws over his first four seasons of college. Solid numbers, but nowhere near his production as a fifth-year senior.