Big Ten Basketball: Top 25 non-freshmen players for 2022-23 season

22. Jahmir Young – Maryland Terrapins

2021-22 stats (at Charlotte): 19.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.7 apg

The 6’2 guard has been one of the best players in Conference USA for the past couple of years and was the model of consistency last season. He scored in double figures in each game, including 30 points at Florida Atlantic and a notable 27 points against Wake Forest. He also was a good rebounder and underrated passer, being on triple-double alert several times as well.

Young is coming back home to Maryland, which has a revamped backcourt after losing Fatts Russell and Eric Ayala. He’s more of a combo/shooting guard but also has the most experience being a ball-handler so he’ll probably play point. He’s more efficient than Russell but will he be a better playmaker?

21. Jalen Pickett – Penn State Nittany Lions

2021-22 stats: 13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.4 apg

The former MAAC Player of the Year played a ton of minutes at Siena before transferring over to Penn State and somehow ended up playing more than he ever did before. His numbers and efficiency remained the same, which actually was good news for the Nittany Lions. Pickett had four games of 20+ points, including 20 points and 10 assists against Purdue.

The 6’4 guard is a solid playmaker for Penn State, he just can’t be the best player for them to be an NCAA Tournament contender. But with more shooters and scorers coming from the portal, there’s a chance that Pickett’s assist numbers rise to the top of Big Ten Basketball.