Penn State men’s basketball may have a new secret weapon when the season begins on November 10.

Jalen Pickett, a senior guard who transferred from Siena, was listed at No. 78 on ESPN’s Newcomer Impact Rankings.

Analysts have been high on Pickett since his decision to transfer to Penn State. He was the 2018-19 MAAC Rookie of the Year and followed that season up by becoming the 2019-20 MAAC Player of the Year. He averaged 15 points per game and 6.1 assists per game in his three years at Siena, with the assist total being the second-highest in program history.

“Likely to be the centerpiece of Micah Shrewsberry’s first season with the Nittany Lions, Pickett is hoping to regain the form of his first two seasons with Siena,” Jeff Borzello, college basketball writer at ESPN, said. “Good size, can make shots from the perimeter, with good vision.”

While Pickett was the only Nittany Lion on the list, it should be noted that no other of the players that transferred from Penn State cracked the rankings. So, while the team lost some impact players, it absolutely has the skill to make up for it in transfers like Pickett.