HC+ Honor Roll, Feb. 13-19: Jalen Pickett, Keisei Tominaga have B1G weeks

Penn State’s Jalen Pickett and Nebraska’s Keisei Tominaga both make the latest Honor Roll, which highlights last week’s top stars in college basketball.

It was another wild week in college basketball as the clock ticks down to March Madness.

Our weekly shortlist of college basketball’s best players include a pair of Big Ten guards with big weeks, the man chasing down Pistol Pete, one of the best names in the whole dang sport — and much, much more.

Let’s get down to it. Here is this week’s HC+ Honor Roll for the week of Feb. 13-19.

—Bracketology: Alabama gains No. 1 overall seed

GOLD STAR PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jalen Pickett, Penn State

• Averaged 51.95 gold points per game in wins over Illinois and Minnesota
• No. 4 overall player in the Gold Star Guide (35.18 gold points per game)

Jalen Pickett opened the week with 41 points and eight assists in a win over Illinois and then went for 32, nine boards and eight dimes against Minnesota on Saturday. He sat just four minutes across the two games, shot 65 percent from the field and 53 percent on 3-pointers, posted 16 assists to just four turnovers, shot 12-of-13 from the free throw line — need I go on? Pickett has been absolutely incredible for the Nittany Lions this season, and this past week was his most concentrated dose of stardom, and it might have secured him All-American status.

Jalen Pickett is a new Draftables name. Had 41pts & 8ast last night, but scouts have been increasingly intrigued throughout the season with his extreme versatility.@JalenPickett7 | @PennStateMBB | @TheCityRocks | @SPIRE_Institutepic.twitter.com/GzhRmuCjfQ

— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) February 15, 2023

GOLD STAR PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Chris Ledlum, Harvard

• Scored 58.66 gold points in win over Cornell
• No. 2 performance of the 2022-23 season

Chris Ledlum had 35 points on 12-of-17 shooting and added 13 rebounds, six steals, three assists, two blocks and just one turnover in a win over Cornell on Saturday. That performance edged out Pickett’s game against Illinois as the best of the week, and only Bryce Hopkins of Providence has scored more this season (58.76 against Marquette back on Dec. 20). Ledlum set new career-highs in points and steals, and he continues to make a convincing case for the Ivy League Player of the Year award despite the Crimson’s considerable struggles in conference play.

GOLD STAR RISER OF THE WEEK

Keisei Tominaga, Nebraska

• Raised gold point average by 1.07 points last week, 3.66 this month
• Has risen over 600 spots in Gold Star Guide in past three weeks

OK, in keeping with the arbitrary nature of the Arthur Awards below we’re extending the scope of the Riser award this week. Tominaga has been on a heater of late, and he just keeps improving his game. A lauded sniper from the JUCO ranks at Ranger College, he underwhelmed in Year 1 with the Cornhuskers (5.7 points per game, 33 percent on 3-pointers). Now, the junior is averaging 12.7 per game and shooting over 40 percent from deep. Tominaga has scored at least 20 points in five straight games, including 22 and 20 in wins over Rutgers and Maryland last week.

A historic stretch.@KeiseiTominaga 🤝 Tyronn Lue pic.twitter.com/dlpK7kFxnE

— Nebraska Basketball (@HuskerHoops) February 21, 2023