Pickett Fences
Images: Stefan Jurgeleit / Hertener Löwen
Winthrop alum had to fight for his shot at pro ball
Regionalliga represents the 4th tier of German basketball. People tend to call it semi-pro but that is a bit of a generalization as roster setups, budgets and ambitions vary greatly on this extremely heterogenous level. While a lot of locals hoop for free, most teams feature at least one full-time professional, often from the US. Many of which will never advance to greener pastures but Regionalliga alumni like Ricky Hickman, Monyea Pratt or Jason Boone have proven that you can certainly start respectable careers there.
Adam Pickett could very well be next in line. The lefty combo guard has dominated 1. Regionalliga West for two years running and brings a number of tools to be a useful component at higher levels. We talked to him about his game and his basketball career - past, present and future.
How would your characterize your game? What do you see as your strengths and what as areas of improvement? Why should a higher level team sign you in your opinion?
I would characterize my game as all around. I feel like I can provide something to almost every statistical category in the game. As far as improvement, I think I would love to improve my passing ability and be more of a floor general because I understand I'm a bit undersized for anything other than the point guard position at superior levels.
I think I can provide a lot of leadership, a winning attitude and adjust to any role that a team would need from me while still being a factor on both ends of the court.
How did you first end up in Germany in 2019? What made you decide to return this season?
After completing my senior season at Winthrop I decided to go ahead and sign with an agent, and BG Dorsten was the only team to reach out about me so I took that chance. Unfortunately I didn't get to complete the season. Then after Covid hit, I had no real intention of continuing to pursue a basketball career. When Herten HC Cedric Huesken reached out to me this past summer, I jumped at the opportunity to get back into the mix.
You have had two individually dominant years in 1. Regio now. What is the plan for next season? Are you looking to move up to a higher level?
I cannot speak on my plans for next season yet because I took some time away from thinking about the future to just enjoy my family and friends that I missed out on spending time with. I obviously still have been working out and staying in shape. Moving to a higher level of basketball is always something I'm looking to do. My goal is to play basketball at the highest level possible.
You played your full four seasons of college ball at Winthrop. Even though you did not play that much as a freshman and sophomore, you stayed on board which might be unusual during these days of transfers left and right. What made you stay and be patient?
I felt like I needed that time to be acclimated to our offensive and defensive schemes, so it felt like there was a good reason for why I wasn't playing. Plus that also fueled me everyday in practice to get better and to the point where coach had enough trust in me to play me.
Do you have any players that you model your game after?
I wouldn't say I model my game after anybody specific, but I definitely pull inspiration from a couple of NBA players like Kyrie, young Kobe, Jamal Crawford. I also used to be really big on Tyreke Evans.
Who was the toughest matchup you played so far in your career? High school, college, Germany, does not matter.
Chris Clemons from Campbell University (a super-explosive guard who has averaged over 20 ppg in the NBA G League the past two seasons) or Nych Smith who was my teammate at Winthrop.
We are a scouting website mainly. What kind of scouting report do you like as a player? What should be in there in terms of information?
Obviously the basics like statistics by season, accolades, etc. but also more advanced analytics such as stats per 40, PER, true shooting percentage, assist to turnover ratio and other things of that nature.
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