Article 194: Pickney half way there

May 10, 2011

The NBA regulation rim height is exactly 10 feet tall. Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol of the former Washington Bullets were 7-foot-7 and could basically touch the rim flat footed at more than three quarters to the top. At 5-foot-4 and 120 pounds, Mike Pickney II is just more than half way to the top of the rim.

Pickney's lack of size is more than compensated by his desire and smarts on the hardwood. As a junior varsity starter for the St. Mary's Panthers, he averaged 18 points and 6 assists. He was called up to the varsity squad for the post season and will be a critical piece on the varsity squad next season.

Panthers Head Coach Manny Nodar says about bringing up his JV star, "Mike had a great JV season and we wanted to give him an opportunity to get a varsity preview before next season. The six weeks he spent with us has helped him to understand what varsity level is all about."

The Panthers went 23-12 last season and lost to Salesian in the Northern California finals. They have a solid backcourt with Isaiah Taylor and Glenn Baral. Nodar says about where his 2014 guard will figure in the rotation, "Mike will play a lot at both guard spots. With him on the floor we will be able to have another ballhandler and scorer. Mike has the potential to be a great guard. He has basketball knowledge and understands how to play the game. He can run a team. He can handle the ball and what makes him dangerous is that he can shoot the ball."

Pickney models his game after Chris Paul because of his IQ, tenacity, ability to distribute, and scoring versatility. At an AAU event in Hayward recently, Pickney showed his savvy, pass first ability for his Bay Area Warriors 16's team. His ball handling skills were like local star Steve Nash as Pickney was very calm with his dribble around bigger and taller players. Surprisingly, Pickney had a deceptively quick jumper release that would open driving lanes and passing lanes for him.

In addition to playing for the Bay Area Warriors, Pickney will work on his strength, conditioning, and jumper. Bay Area Warriors Coach Randy Bessolo says, "Mike has terrific offensive skills handling the ball and shooting. He is a true point guard with a nice feel for the game. He can distribute but also has the ability to score in bunches. Mike is a fierce competitor and is fearless."

Pickney has a 3.4 GPA and is open to all regions for college but would like academics to be a priority. Coach Bessolo says, "Mike has great skills and feel for the game which make him a college prospect. He is going to grow bigger and the question is how big he will get. With enough size he could be a D1 guy, but he will make a great point guard for some college at some level. The fact that Mike is small now will make him a better player in the future. He has to work harder and learn the game better now to compensate for his current lack of size. When he gets bigger, look out for Mike Pickney. Regardless of how big he gets, he is a player we love having on our team."

Lil Mike, what his teammates call him, is definitely a 2014 prospect of note. Pickney hopes to be a core contributor for the Panthers run to state. Watch for Pickney in Berkeley as he is more than half way there already.