WARMINSTER, PA – Archbishop Wood senior Tyree Pickron looked around the gym last night and saw way more family members than usual.
“I didn’t know why,” he said. “I thought that they mixed up the senior day. That is next Friday.”
Nope. They had their calendars straight.
Heading into the Catholic League game against visiting Bishop McDevitt, the two-time All-Catholic guard needed 10 points to become Wood’s all-time leading scorer.
With three minutes left in the game and the Vikings en route to a 59-42 victory, Pickron scored his 10th and 11th point in impressive style.
Tyree Pickron becomes Wood's all-time leading scorer, surpassing the previous record of 1,302 set by Tim Whelan who graduated in 1999 - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
(Photo above taken by Kathy Leister for PSD)
“I came off a ball screen from Seth (Pinkney),” he said. “They collapsed in the paint so I kicked it out to (freshman) Rahsool Diggins and I was open off of his secondary drive. Then I floated in.”
The game was then stopped to celebrate Wood’s new scoring king. Pickron had hurdled the previous record of 1,302, set by 1999 gradate Tim Whelan, who was in attendance preparing to turn over the reins.
“All my friends and family being there was the best part,” said Pickron, who is averaging 17 points per game overall and a fifth-best 17.3 in the league. “It’s something I will never forget.”
Hours after the game, Pickron acknowledged some of the many great players that had come before him. He was asked if he felt overwhelmed from his accomplishment and subsequent fanfare.
Far from it.
“I don’t look at it as overwhelming,” he said. “I just think of it as a blessing. Tommy Funk (2016 grad), Luke Connaghan (2015), Matt Cerruti (2017), Collin Gillespie (2017), and even people I didn’t play with like Pat Smith (2014), are all people that paved the way for me and the younger people now.”
Pickron, a shooting guard who next season will begin his college career at Quinnipiac University, discovered that he was close to the mark “a couple of weeks ago when some people mentioned it to me in school.”
“It wasn’t hard to eliminate the anxiety,” he said, “because it kept slipping my mind.”
Wood coach John Mosco described Pickron as a “humble kid” who puts team ahead of individual.
“Tyree has been great to our program,” said Mosco. “He has a tremendous work ethic. He is a leader with our young kids.”
Wood senior Tyree Pickron puts up a shot against McDevitt's Seneca Willoughby - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
(Photo above taken by Kathy Leister for PSD)
Pickron’s teammates were ecstatic.
“It’s really special for him,” said All-Catholic senior guard Andrew Funk, the league’s seventh leading scorer at 16.6 points per game. “He’s worked really hard for it and no one deserves it more than him. He’s always been a great teammate and puts the team first, so for him to achieve that is a great individual honor and I’m really proud of him and glad I got to be with him throughout our four years together.”
Wood vs. McDevitt Highlight Video - Shot by Kathy Leister for PSD
All-Catholic senior center and Wood’s leading rebounder Seth Pinkney concurred.
“Tyree worked super hard to get where he is and he has earned every bit of the honor,” said Pinkney. “Myself and the whole team are super proud of him.”
As are Pickron’s family and friends – the punctual ones who were on hand to witness history.
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)
(For photos from Wood vs. McDevitt contact Kathy Leister http://www.knlpix.com )
