Former Penn State stars set for NBA Summer League tilt
Penn State basketball sent two of its stars into last month’s NBA Draft, in the same class, for the first time in program history. Since the NBA moved to its modern two-round format, the selections of Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy also doubled the Nittany Lions’ overall output.
Now, they’ll play against each other.
Set to begin in Las Vegas this week, the NBA Summer League will pit Pickett and Lundy against each other when the Denver Nuggets take on the Atlanta Hawks. The matchup will take place next Sunday, July 9, at 9:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast by NBA TV.
The matchup between the former Penn State teammates won’t stop there. Andrew Funk, also among the shining stars of the Nittany Lions’ run to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, was also picked up by the Nuggets as a free agent for the summer league.
Trio make huge impact at Penn State
In just two seasons at Penn State, Pickett made an immeasurable mark on the program with his outstanding performances. The sentiment was especially true of his bonus season in 2022-23, earning Consensus All-American status for his play. That included 17.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game as well as 34 games scoring in double figures. For the effort, Pickett collected dozens of Big Ten and national awards and, ultimately, was selected by the Nuggets with the No. 32 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Lundy, meanwhile, finished sixth in 3-pointers (229) and 20th in career points (1,283) during his Penn State career. He capped his four-year stint with the NIttany Lions with 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. And, he finished second only to teammate Andrew Funk for proficiency beyond the arc at 40.0 percent for the 2022-23 season.
Along with his lights-out shooting performance, Funk finished third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 12.5 points per game. He also led the Nittany Lions in 3-point shooting in makes (112), attempts (272), and conversion rate (41.2 percent).
