Former Penn State men’s basketball stars Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy both showcased their skills during the opening scrimmages at the ongoing NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. The Draft Combine runs from May 15-21 and features 79 of the top NBA prospects ahead of the NBA Draft on June 22.
Lundy was his usual self from range posting 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc while dishing out four assists and grabbing a single rebound. Lundy played just over 19 minutes in the rotation-heavy scrimmage. Projected as a potential second round daft choice with his size, length and ability to make threes while also defending. Lundy measured on the scales at 6-foot-4 even with a wingspan of 6-10.25 and weighted in at 214 pounds. Only two players at the combine standing 6-foot-4 or shorter had a longer wingspan than Lundy.
For his part Pickett put his back-to-basket skills on display with an eight point, three rebound, six assist and 0 turnover effort in 19 minutes of action on 3-for-5 shooting. Pickett, an 2023 All-American, is also projected as a potential second round draft choice but his size and lack of top end speed has – in some circles – made Pickett a less obvious option for today’s NBA. Pickett’s efficiency, passing and effective scoring will likely win the day if a team opts to choose him.
Drafted or not both Pickett and Lundy should find themselves with at least a post-draft opportunity with an NBA franchise in some capacity. If both players were selected it would mark the first time in program history that multiple Penn State players would hear their name called in the same draft. Tony Carr was the last Penn State player selected, going in the second round of the 2018 Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans. Former Nittany Lion, Lamar Stevens is the only active NBA player to have called State College home. Stevens is a key rotational piece with the Cleveland Cavaliers.