3-star forward Jamarko Pickett commits to Ole Miss basketball

The basketball staff has been busy this fall on the crootin trail, getting commitments from three-star Parker Stewart and four-star Devontae Shuler. But Andy Kennedy and company don’t appear to be slowing down whatsoever. Three-star Jamarko Pickett, the No. 17 power forward in the country by Scout, has verbally committed to the Rebels.

Pickett, a native of Washington, D.C., is still relatively under the radar but has been gaining steam of late on the recruiting trail, holding offers from Cincinnati, Florida International, Memphis and the Rebs. The 6’7, 190-pounder out of Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia told Scout’s Evan Daniels that he was impressed with everything at Ole Miss from their commitment to recruiting him, the school and the way the team practiced.

"I chose Ole Miss because it felt like it was right for me," Pickett said. "Coach [Bill] Armstrong and coach [Andy] Kennedy have been very committed to me. Coach Armstrong came up here every week and coach Kennedy came up three times and no other coach did that.”

“The school is way better than what I thought," Pickett said. “On the court and everything they were doing, all the guys were serious with it and going hard," he added. "They had a shoot-around and all the guys were breaking a sweat and they were getting after it."

The newest Reb will soon be the third alum from the military prep school to come to Oxford. Former Basketbear Terry Brutus was teammates with current player Deandre Burnett back in 2012.

How does he fit in?

Kennedy and his staff love their rangy, 6’7-6’9 guys who can handle the basketball and get to the rim and Pickett fits that perfectly. He is very long and athletic and can handle the rock like a point guard. With some added size on his more than capable frame, look for Pickett to be a stretch three or four guy who can play inside and out on both sides of the floor for the Rebs.

The area where Jamarko could really excel for Ole Miss is on the defensive end. Due to the aforementioned size, length and athleticism combo, he could be a tough matchup for smaller guards and forwards to deal with on the open floor. He reminds me of former Reb Terrence Henry, who excelled against smaller defenders and was able to get to the rim. He also has a similar look to him since he has good touch from the outside.

Despite his light offer sheet, Pickett is a unique prospect who has an impressive set of tools that are only going to get better with time and maturity. In his senior year at Eastern High School in D.C., Pickett averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks per game. During the summer circuit, he played for DC Premier and averaged 14 points per game, shot 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from deep.

Highlights