Who is Jalen Pickett's mother, Gwendolyn Pickett? A look at the former Penn State big man's private life
Jalen Pickett is a 209-pound, 6-foot-4 guard who skyrocketed his collegiate career at Penn State in April 2021. Before joining the Nittany Lions, Pickett was a SPIRE Institute Academy student-athlete who committed to the Siena Saints in 2018.
Jalen Pickett was born to Frank and Gwendolyn Pickett on October 22, 1999, in Rochester, New York. Frank currently lives in Boston, where he works at Boston Scientific and is married to Ann Marie.
Through social media, it's evident that Gwendolyn is a fun and outgoing person as she's always present in the stands supporting her son. Interstingly, she loves Halloween, music and comedy as seen by her multiple retweets of posts.
Happy Halloween! 2019 & 2020...been working out...decided to run Wonder Woman back...27lbs lighter ! #Snack #Snatched https://t.co/PaYj3HuVTi
She is an American residing in Ohio and is a fun mum. Gwendolyn is known to be a vocal supporter of her son through her social media posts on Twitter.
When you with your Nephews watching your Son play! #Family #❤️🏀 https://t.co/TgNmWquBGr
Apart from his ever-proactive mum, Jalen has a brother, Annon Bennett, who has also played a crucial role in Jalen's career. They were always competitive from a tender age which made Jalen grow immensely as a basketball player.
Jalen Pickett's career thus far
When Jalen Pickett graduated from high school, his mother accompanied him to Siena to assess if the college was the best for her son.
On arrival, she was devastated when she heard that the school’s former coaching staff was being investigated for misconduct. However, the new coaches managed to convince her to let Jalen join the program.
Pickett developed good relationships with his teammates and the trainers and enjoyed playing for Siena. His colleagues celebrated him for winning awards and helping the program enjoy a solid season.
Pickett hit the headlines on February 14, 2023, when he scored 41 points in a game against Illinois. He became the first Penn State athlete to score 40+ points in a game since 1961. He also became the fourth Penn State player to record 2,000+ points in a season.
During his first year at Siena Saints in 2018, Jalen Pickett averaged 15.8 points and six assists per game. As a result, he won multiple accolades including Rookie of the Year and First-team All-MAAC. These impressive stats have attracted the attention of many basketball enthusiasts in the US and abroad.
Apart from sports, Jalen promotes apparel since he has struck an endorsement partnership with the Penn State basketball team. The most known apparels are the Penn State hoodies and t-shirts which are sold on the school's official online shop.