Dynamic Duo: Penn State basketball has historic night at NBA Draft
On the heels of its best season in years, Penn State basketball just had its best night at the NBA Draft.
The Nittany Lions had two players selected for the first time in program history. Point guard Jalen Pickett was taken by the NBA Champion Denver Nuggets with the second pick of the second round (32nd overall) while wing Seth Lundy was taken 46th overall by the Atlanta Hawks Thursday night.
The pair were the first Penn State players selected since guard Tony Carr was taken in the second round in 2018. Including Pickett and Lundy, the Nittany Lions have had just 16 players selected since the draft began in 1947.
But after making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 and winning a tournament game for the first time since 2001, the Nittany Lions have serious national momentum for the first time in years. Central Pennsylvania native Mike Rhoades was hired as head coach in March when Micah Shrewsberry left for Notre Dame.
Of course, the Nittany Lions will need to replenish their talent following the graduation of four starters — including Pickett and Lundy.
A physical guard with an old-school, back-to-the-basket game, the 6-foot-4 Pickett transferred to Penn State in 2021 after three seasons at Siena. In his fifth college season this past winter, he dramatically improved into being one of the best players in the country — earning second-team All-American honors while averaging 17.7 points, 6.6 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game. He was also an efficient player who shot 51% from the field and 38% from 3.
He wasn't expected to be a high pick due to his limited quickness and unorthodox style, but he clearly impressed another former Penn State draft pick. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth is a Nittany Lions legend who played 10 years in the NBA as a center.
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Interestingly enough, Booth was previously Penn State's highest-drafted player of the modern era after being taken No. 35 by the Washington Wizards in 1999. But Booth has now given up that distinction to Pickett, who will have the luxury of joining the league's reigning champion and playing alongside two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
Lundy will join an organization that has made the NBA playoffs the last three seasons but hasn't won a championship since the late 1950s. The 6-foot-6 wing steadily improved over his four-year Penn State career and averaged 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 45% from the field and 40% from 3 this past season.
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His ability to guard bigger players and still shoot from the outside could make him an ideal fit with the Hawks — who have typically surrounded star point guard Trae Young with similar players in the past.
The two 23-year-olds are older than most modern NBA prospects, and there's no guarantee they develop into successful professional players. Carr, who left Penn State after his sophomore season, never made an NBA roster after being selected by the New Orleans Pelicans and now plays in Israel.
On the other hand, former Penn State forward Lamar Stevens has developed into a solid rotational player for the Cleveland Cavaliers since entering the league without getting drafted in 2020. Former Nittany Lions point guard Tim Frazier also went undrafted in 2015, but carved out a successful eight-year career after the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers extended him an initial 10-day contract.
Penn State players selected in the NBA draft
Jalen Pickett, second round (No. 32), Denver Nuggets, 2023
Seth Lundy, second round (No. 46), Atlanta Hawks, 2023
Tony Carr, second round (No. 51), New Orleans Pelicans, 2018
Calvin Booth, second round (No. 35), Washington Wizards, 1999
Mike Iuzzolino, second round (No. 35), Dallas Mavericks, 1991
Dick Mumma, 10th round (No. 211), Los Angeles Clippers, 1984
Mike Lang, eighth round (No. 174), New York Knicks, 1983
Frank Brickowski, third round (No. 57), New York Knicks, 1981
Ron Brown, seventh round (No. 125), Boston Celtics, 1974
Paul Mickey, 14th round (No. 142), Baltimore Bullets, 1967
Carver Clinton, 11th round (No. 97), Chicago Bulls, 1966
Bob Weiss, third round (No. 22), Philadelphia 76ers, 1965
Peter Baltic, ninth round (No. 79), Detroit Pistons, 1961
Jesse Arnelle, second round (No. 13), Fort Wayne Pistons, 1955
Herman Sledzik, seventh round (No. 54), Baltimore Bullets, 1953
John Rusinko, third round (No. 30), Baltimore Bullets, 1947
Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State basketball has two players drafted into NBA for first time
