Jalen Pickett earns All-American honors; Penn State Big Ten champ is NCAA wrestler of the week: Newsstand
Penn State news, notes, and updates for March 8 include honors for Jalen Pickett and Levi Haines, plus nuggets on alumni in the NFL and more.
It’s time to dive into Wednesday’s top tweets and headlines about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.
Penn State tweets of the day
We start with Jalen Pickett. The standout Penn State guard is a second-team All-American, according to the Sporting News. It marks the first time in nearly 70 years that a Nittany Lion has been named to any kind of All-American team.
“It’s almost too limiting to call him the nation’s best point guard because his contributions to the Nittany Lions go well beyond mere playmaking,” SN’s Mike DeCourcy writes. “You will not find a lot of players in Division I who lead their teams in scoring, rebounding and assists – like, ever. His physicality allows him to back down guards of any size and either score on turnaround jumpers or find teammates open on the perimeter for 3-point shots.
“He is always looking for the open pass, even on nights when he determines it will be best to serve as his team’s primary option. His versatility helped elevate a team with essentially no frontcourt presence to an NCAA Tournament contender.”
Top 10
- 1
Updated SEC title game scenarios
The path to the championship game is clear
- 2
SEC refs under fire
'Incorrect call' wipes Bama TD away
- 3
'Fire Kelly' chants at LSU
Death Valley disapproval of Brian Kelly
- 4New
Chipper Jones
Braves legend fiercely defends SEC
- 5
Drinkwitz warns MSU
Mizzou coach sounded off
A finalist for the Bob Cousey award, Pickett was also a first-team All-Big Ten pick. He was joined by honorable mention selections Seth Lundy and Andrew Funk.
Moving on to wrestling, freshman phenom and 157-pound Big Ten champ Levi Haines is the NCAA wrestler of the week. He won the honor after an impressive performance at the conference tournament concluded with a 3-1 win over top-seed Peyton Robb in the finals.
Finally, for this section, we’ll note that Saquon Barkley has been given the franchise tag by the New York Giants. And, Donovan Smith has been released by the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.
Headlines of the day
Penn State’s NFL prospects eager to watch Drew Allar: ‘He’s going to be ready’: McGonigal, PennLive
Penn State staying ‘simple’ ahead of Big Ten Tournament: Bauer, BWI
Despite an offseason full of drama, Jim Harbaugh has positioned the Michigan Wolverines to ‘chase perfection’ in 2023: Simonton, On3
Which Penn State football players stood out as leaders during winter workouts?: Pickel, BWI
Jalen Pickett Is Penn State’s First All-American Since 1955: Wogenrich, SI
Penn State spring position battles: Which is the most intriguing one on defense?: Pickel, BWI
National contenders are going toe to toe after On3 top-20 WR Cam Coleman: Spiegelman, On3
Quote of the day
“Simple. That’s all we’ve been doing these last few weeks. We’re just focusing on what’s next, what’s right in front of us. If you start looking at everything else around you, you’re not going to be focused on playing transition defense against Illinois, or taking care of the basketball. That’s our only concern, right there, and continue to play good basketball.”
–PSU men’s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry on his team’s approach ahead of the Big Ten tournament.
