Forgotten BYU star Nate Pickens just reminded the basketball world who he is

Too many people have forgotten about Nate Pickens. And that's understandable. After all, he hasn't played a single minute for BYU basketball despite transferring to Provo from UC Riverside last season, but a preseason injury sidelined him for the entire year.

Now, he's rested, healed, and ready to prove that BYU basketball is ready to compete in the Big 12 Conference.

He proved that at the Powder League, an annual summer pro-am tournament held in Utah, where BYU alumni, Utah Jazz players, and current Cougar hoopers have often flocked for some offseason runs. This year has seen a lot from current BYU basketball players including Pickens, Collin Chandler, and Robert Wright III.

Pickens erupted in his Powder League appearance, handling the basketball and clearly marking the difference between good basketball players and great ones. Pickens lines up as the Cougars' backup point guard at the moment, as a powerful finisher and knockdown shooter, he flashed the tools that BYU lacked desperately in their second unit last year.

Not to mention Pickens' defensive ability, which wasn't shown in the embedded minute-long highlight reel. On defense, this UC Riverside transfer is sturdy and dependable for defending the other team's best player. Switchable, versatile, and smart, Nate Pickens adds another fascinating wrinkle for a BYU team still searching for its identity in the months leading to the season.

Pickens put on a show, but he's not the only Coug who showed out at the Powder League.

I want to highlight Collin Chandler, another player who has yet to appear in a BYU uniform. We all know what Chandler can do -- Kentucky games often bled over the beginning of this last year's BYU basketball games -- but it's exciting to see him casually dominate on the basketball court.

He was clearly playing at half-speed in a lot of these clips, likely taking it easy to avoid injury or to simply have fun playing the game, but he flashed incredible shooting ability paired with unfathomable athleticism.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow