Penn State's NBA Draft Success Pays Dividends for Mike Rhoades

'You can come to Penn State and be a pro,' the Lions' coach says.

Reese Strickland/USA Today Sports

Penn State has four players in the NBA, two of whom were selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. The draft marked the first in which two Lions were selected. Now, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades wants the program to further that success. Rhoades said that the drafting of Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy represents not only their development but also the program's. And it's something NBA teams seek when scouting future talent.

"GMs want guys who are going to help the team win and help the team get to the playoffs and help the team win a world championship in the NBA," Rhoades said. "So Seth and Pickett are very good players, but then they capped off their careers at Penn State with wins. That success makes you even more appealing to the next level."

Pickett, a second-round pick of the Denver Nuggets, and Lundy, drafted in the second round by Atlanta, recently made their NBA Summer League debuts along with former teammate Andrew Funk, who signed a free-agent deal with Denver. With Lamar Stevens in San Antonio, the Lions have four former players on NBA rosters for the first time. 

Pickett, Lundy and Funk led Penn State to one its most successful season in two decades, a 23-win campaign in which the Lions reached the Big Ten Tournament final and won their first NCAA Tournament game since 2001. The three were All-Big Ten, and Pickett made several All-America teams. Their success helped elevate Penn State's basketball profile and also that of coach Micah Shrewsberry, who left for Notre Dame. For Rhoades, who has built his first Penn State roster largely from the transfer portal, Penn State's success still remains something to leverage. 

"You can come to Penn State and be a pro, because you have the stage," Rhoades said. "Now what we want to do is, we want to make it successful winning basketball. I’m not sure those guys get drafted if they didn’t have the season they had as a team."

Penn State's 2023-24 roster will include nine transfer players, all of whom have professional aspirations. In recruiting them to Penn State, Rhoades pitched the power of not only building a team but also developing for the future.

"It just shows that you can do it at Penn State," Rhoades said. "You can play in the NBA from Penn State. You want the opportunity, you want the development and you want the stage. And we can provide all three of those things for our guys."

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.