Jalen Pickett, Seth Lundy chosen in NBA Draft in historic night for Penn State basketball

The Penn State basketball team made history Thursday when a pair of teammates were picked in the NBA Draft.

Never before had the Nittany Lions seen two players chosen in the same draft — until Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy. The two are the 14th and 15th draft picks from Penn State.

Pickett was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 32nd pick through a trade with Indiana, becoming the first Penn State player to be drafted since Tony Carr in 2018. Pickett became the highest-drafted Nittany Lion in the draft’s modern era, which began in 1989, besting Calvin Booth, who was the 35th pick.

The Nuggets already had a connection to the program through Booth, the legendary Nittany Lion who is the team’s general manager.

Lundy was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks with the 46th pick. ESPN analyst Jay Bilas praised Lundy’s shooting in his post-pick analysis, while reporter Andraya Carter said Lundy was one of the hardest workers at the combine.

Pickett and Lundy helped lead the Nittany Lions to their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2011.

Lamar Stevens, the only other active Penn State player in the NBA, reflected in a tweet Thursday night on how far the program has come, writing, “It’s crazy to see how much (Penn State men’s basketball) has grown man. Gives me chills to see the success we’ve had individually and as a team. We just getting started! Congrats to them boys tonight.”

Penn State coach Mike Rhoades tweeted a graphic congratulating both players, writing, “Penn State is a special place!” Several players also tweeted in support of their former teammates.

Duke’s Dereck Lively II, who spent part of his childhood in Centre County, was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 12 overall pick after a trade with Oklahoma City. The freshman center lived in Bellefonte for several years and is the son of former Lady Lions standout Kathy Drysdale, who works at Penn State as a director of marketing and fan experience.