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Jalen Pickett draws praise from Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams ahead of Round 1 NCAA Tournament matchup
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Jalen Pickett received compliments from Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams ahead of the upcoming NCAA Tournament matchup on Thursday. Williams spoke highly of Pickett at Tuesday’s presser.
Williams understands that everything the offense of Penn State tries to do runs through Pickett. Williams credited Penn State’s low turnover rate to Pickett because the star guard makes most of the decisions on the court.
“Pickett has the highest usage rate of any player we’ve played since we’ve been here,” said Williams. “22’s usage rate is 38%, which is just astronomical. They play with a very low turnover rate, which is partly because 22 is making most of their decisions. He forces you to make decisions, depending on how you’re gonna guard him.”
Pickett averages 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game for Penn State. Thursday’s game could very well come down to how Pickett is able to execute while on the floor.
The Aggies are currently favored in the matchup as they are the higher seeded team. However, much like Texas A&M, Penn State made a deep run into its conference tournament. The Nittany Lions 67-65 to Purdue in the final round of the B1G Tournament.
With Pickett on the court, Penn State is a different animal. Fans can tune into the game Thursday at 9:55 p.m. ET on TBS.
Grant Bricker covers the B1G for Saturday Tradition. His previous stops include the Williamson Homepage and Nashville Post.