After following the college recruitment closely of Dream City Christian Prep's tough floor general 6-foot senior point guard prospect Gabe Pickens this summer and fall, Pickens is now off the recruiting board, after recently receiving an offer and then giving a nice commitment to New Mexico State University and new Head Coach Jason Hooten and his coaching staff, this week. Pickens has decided to sign with New Mexico State - giving the Aggies a nice guard prospect for the 2024 Class.
Pickens recently received the offer from New Mexico State in nice fashion, as it became his first Division-I offer to his credit. Rather than decide to wait for more offers to reveal themselves this spring, Pickens chose to accept the nice offer on the table for himself and make his college decision, as if the bird in the hand was worth more than two in the bush for Pickens.
Pickens is a prospect with a true position, as a point guard, and he is among the best at the position, while also being one of the top defenders from the guard position in the West, I believe. He is capable of becoming a lock-defender at the college level, while also knowing how to operate a talented team of performers, which he does quite well for Head Coach Kyle Weaver and the Dream City Christian program.
Pickens is currently ranked among our top overall prospects in the state, regardless of class, and he is definitely among the elite PG's in the 2024 Class. Pickens is also the younger brother of UC-Riverside freshman Nate Pickens.
Congratulations to the Pickens family, as well as the Dream City Christian program on this accomplishment from our staff here at Arizona Preps.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Pickens is different as a point guard prospect, as he is very strong physically and plays like a bull from the guard position. He is tough and difficult to defend off the dribble, as he goes hard to the basket and gets into the line quite often, where he is a good finisher and likes to draw contact from defenders. He is a very strong driver of the basketball, the best in the state, and also is a strong finisher in the lane, as he is able to finish over or around defenders. Pickens possesses an excellent handle of the basketball, as the ball is on a string for him. He changes speeds and direction off the dribble consistently, making him very difficult to defend for one guard. He sets up his drives with a nice shooting stroke and a soft touch from the perimeter. He has nice range on his jump shot also, and is able to stretch the defense. Pickens pushes the ball up the floor and likes to apply pressure on opposing defenses. He plays fast and also gets low to the ground on his dribble. A very good passer and floor general that sees the floor quite well. He knows how to run a team efficiently, and is a plug and play PG. He has a high basketball IQ, and should be able to play immediately over time in college, as a result. He is also an excellent defender with quick hands and feet, and also very good on-court anticipation, that allows him to play passing lanes. A capable lock-down defender over time.
