Denver Nuggets guard Jalen Pickett (24) in the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

UNIVERSITY PARK – Four Penn State men’s basketball alumni will represent the Nittany Lions when the 2024-25 NBA season tips off this week. Jalen Pickett ’23 (Denver Nuggets) and Seth Lundy ’23 (Atlanta Hawks) are both on NBA rosters, while Calvin Booth ’98 is set for his fifth season as General Manager of the Denver Nuggets. Andrew Jones ’11, M’15 begins his first season as the head coach of the Toronto Raptors’ G League affiliate, Raptors 905.

Jalen Pickett ’23 – Denver Nuggets

Pickett enters his second season with the Denver Nuggets after appearing in 27 games throughout his rookie season in 2023-24. He was drafted by Denver in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft with the 32nd overall pick, becoming the highest-drafted Nittany Lion in the modern era of the two-round NBA Draft that dates back to 1989.

Pickett’s collegiate career culminated in a Consensus All-American season in 2022-23 as he averaged 17.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 6.6 apg with a 50.8 FG%, becoming the first Division I men’s college basketball player since at least the 1992-93 season to average 17/7/6 or better while shooting at least 50% from the field. Pickett finished his five-year collegiate career with marks of 2,207 points (15.3 ppg), 780 rebounds (5.4 rpg), 841 assists (5.8 apg), 178 steals and 115 blocks. The Rochester, N.Y. native was the only Division I men’s basketball player since at least the 1985-86 season to have accumulated career marks of 2,000+ career points, 700+ career rebounds and 800+ career assists. He tallied 1,068 points, 407 rebounds and 378 assists through just 68 games in a Penn State uniform, reaching his 1,000th point at Penn State in just 65 games, while leading Penn State to 2023 NCAA Tournament and Big Ten Tournament Championship game appearances.

Seth Lundy ’23 – Atlanta Hawks

Lundy, on a two-way contract, enters his second season with the Hawks after appearing in nine games throughout his rookie season in 2023-24. He was selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft with the 46th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks.

Lundy completed his four-year Penn State career in 2022-23 after putting together a career-best season as a senior, finishing the season with 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and leading Penn State to 2023 NCAA Tournament and Big Ten Tournament Championship game appearances. He proved to be one of the most efficiently productive players in the country, as one of only five Division I players to tally 10+ points per game and 6+ rebounds per game while shooting at least 50% from two-point range (53.3%), 40% from three-point range (40.0%) and 80% from the free throw line (80.7%). Lundy finished his Penn State career ranking sixth all-time in school history in career 3-pointers (229), ninth in career free throw percentage (81.4 FT%) and 20th in career points (1,283). He became the 39th member of Penn State’s 1,000-career point club on Jan. 11, 2023.

Calvin Booth ’98 – General Manager – Denver Nuggets

Booth, the front office mastermind behind Denver’s first title run in franchise history in 2023, enters his fifth season as Denver Nuggets General Manager. Booth was named General Manager of the Nuggets in July 2020 after previously serving as Assistant General Manager with the Nuggets from 2017-2020. After a 10-year NBA playing career, he entered the front office with the New Orleans Pelicans as a scout in 2012 before working with the Minnesota Timberwolves as a scout and Director of Player Personnel from 2013-17.

The 1998 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Booth was a three-year starter and two-time captain at Penn State. He holds the school record for career blocked shots (428). He led the Big Ten in blocks in all four years that he played, and his career total ranks second in conference history. After his senior season, Booth became the then-highest-drafted Nittany Lion in program history when he was taken as the 35th overall pick by the Washington Wizards in the 1999 NBA Draft.

Andrew Jones ’11, M’15 – Head Coach – Raptors 905 (Toronto G League affiliate)

Jones was announced as the head coach of Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors’ G League affiliate, in June 2024. He spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors, after previously serving as assistant coach of player development with the Detroit Pistons for two seasons. Other coaching stops include two seasons as a player development coach with the Philadelphia 76ers and five years in the Oklahoma City Thunder organization.

Jones was a four-year starter during his time in Happy Valley, finishing his career as the school’s 12th-leading rebounder. The Philadelphia native played a key role in leading Penn State to the 2009 NIT Championship, averaging 10 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in that postseason run, before helping guide the Nittany Lions to the 2011 NCAA Tournament. He later returned to Penn State as a graduate assistant in 2013 and received a master’s degree in educational leadership before playing professionally overseas for several years.