SIUE Men's Basketball Receives Commitments

Both players are profiled below:

Jordan Pickett, 6-3, 185, Guard, Belleville, Illinois (Belleville East HS) 

Pickett ranks as one of the top prospect in the state of Illinois in the Class of 2023. Heading into his senior season, the guard is a three-year starter and two-year team captain at Belleville East.  As a junior, Pickett led the Lancers in scoring, assists and steals averaging 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and two steals per game. Pickett was an IBCA All-State and First Team All-Southwestern Conference selection.

"We're all very excited to welcome Jordan and his family into our SIUE Basketball family," Barone said. "He's been blessed with a terrific support system surrounding him, and he's got a great pedigree that will impact our program on and off the court. We have had success keeping local talent home and Jordan is another example of this. Our fans will appreciate his ability to score along with his play-making ability. I know the community will love seeing him continue his successful basketball journey with us."

"I'm excited to be a part of this program because of the success I have seen from the local talent," Pickett said. "I can see what Coach Barone and the team are building. It is special, I can't wait to be a part of it.

"Jordan Pickett is a great basketball player and an even better young man," Belleville East Head Coach Jeff Creek said. "His work ethic is unmatched. Jordan's impact on the Belleville East basketball program over the last three years has been remarkable. We are all extremely proud of him."

Ethan Yancy, 6-4, 180, Guard Houston, Texas, (Northwest Kansas Tech College)

A scoring guard, Yancy opened eyes last year at Northwest Kansas Tech as a freshman in the challenging Kansas Junior College Conference. He scored in double figures in 24 of 29 games with a career high of 32 points. Yancy averaged 15.9 points and three rebounds while shooting 40 percent from the field, 34 percent from three-point range and 74 percent from the free throw line. This past summer Yancy was one of 48 top junior college players selected to compete in the JA 48 showcase tournament in Las Vegas.

"Being able to add a player of Ethan's caliber to our roster is extremely exciting," Barone said. "It is important for us to continue to recruit top tier junior college players, and he was one of the best freshmen in the nationally-respected Kansas Jayhawk Conference. Ethan has the ability to score at all three levels and change the game in a variety of ways, offensively and defensively. I love his elite athleticism, and all-around basketball IQ. We look forward to him coming in and impacting our program immediately".

"After my visit at the school, it felt like home from the jump and knowing that the whole coaching staff believed in me only made my decision easier," Yancy said. "They made me feel like I can come in and impact the family in a huge way. The coaches staying consistent during my recruitment process and showing love made me realize that SIUE was the one."

"Ethan is a young man with a bright future," Northwest Kansas Tech head coach Jay Bradley said.

"He has the ability to conquer anything he puts his mind to. He has grown so much since first arriving on campus and continues to do so. Ethan is very talented on the floor and is a high-level scorer and dynamic playmaker."

SIUE continues its 2022-23 season Saturday at Purdue Fort Wayne.