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Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team:
Penn State's Jalen Pickett is among the most unique point guards in the country. A solid, but not great, three-pointer shooter, Pickett is arguably at his best backing down his opponents. It's partly how he finished Tuesday's 93-81 win against Illinois with 41 points and eight assists.
Seemingly endless post-ups either yielded a bucket for Pickett or a kick out for a three-pointer. Five of his eight assists led to a three for the Nittany Lions. It mostly didn't matter which of the many Illini who shared the Pickett defensive assignment was on him. He produced.
"They do as much guard-on-guard screening because of Pickett than anybody in the country when he can keep the ball all night and never have to give it up," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "If you blitz him, he passes it out. I think they’re one of the best teams in the country in lowest turnover rate out of double teams. It’s a really good offensive team."
Pickett's post-up game, though, is issue Underwood would like to see addressed.
"It’s not the NBA where they have a five-second rule allowing you to back in," Underwood said. "He becomes impossible to guard because he can just hold the ball. College basketball, in my opinion, needs to look at that rule. You can’t guard him when he turns his back. You can’t touch him."