Big Ten Basketball power rankings: Illinois free falls, Rutgers soars up

9. Penn State Nittany Lions – 11-4 (2-2)

There’s still some indecision as to how good the Nittany Lions are but one thing is for sure, Jalen Pickett is making an All-American case mid-way through the year, as the lone player in the country to average at least 17/7/7.

On Sunday, Penn State was able to beat Iowa, 83-78. Pickett had another star performance, going for 26 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Andrew Funk chipped in with 20 points on 5/8 shooting from three-point range, while Cam Wynter had 14 on 6/9 shooting from the field.

The Nittany Lions weren’t as lucky in the recent game, falling by 10 points on the road at Michigan. The final score was 79-69, with Pickett going for 26 points again, along with nine rebounds and four assists in all 40 minutes. Seth Lundy had 16 points but no one else was in double figures for the team.

Penn State has a chance to enhance its NCAA Tournament in a big way, taking on Purdue, Indiana, and Wisconsin up next. All three are top-15 teams so going 0-3 is a possibility. But if Pickett keeps playing at this current high level, they got a shot to get at least one of them.