Photo by: Mark Palczewski
Jaden Faulkner's elite freshman season and his plans for a championship future
3/18/2019 9:10:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Features
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - He single-handedly dribbled through maybe the meanest full court press in Division II and tossed an alley-oop to a teammate for an easy lay-up. Jaden Faulkner walked past the bench of the PSAC East champs to deliver a message.
"You need to stop pressing me. This is too easy."
East Stroudsburg forced more turnovers and generated more steals than any other team in the PSAC, but on that night, Faulkner was having fun.
That's Jaden Faulkner. And if you don't know him already, it's time that you do.
Here's a list: John Parker, Phil Walker, John Fox, Charlie Parker, Toochi Udeinya. Marauder fans know those names—hall of famers, icons of Millersville basketball with legendary achievements. The names carry almost mythical status. You can add Jaden Faulkner's name to that list.
John Parker, Charlie Parker, Walker, Fox, Udeinya and now Faulkner comprise the select group of Marauders named All-PSAC as a freshman. That's it. That's the list. It's an elite group, but after Faulkner averaged 14.3 points, 4.9 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game in 2018-19, his membership is deserved.
For the five players that Faulkner joined, there was a start to their legend. For John Parker, it was his sheer dominance in the paint. For Charlie Parker, it was the way he took the league by storm and got the Marauders to a PSAC Championship game as a rookie. For Phil Walker, it was his unmatched offensive prowess. For John Fox, it was his scoring, rebounding and shot blocking that elevated the Millersville teams of the 80's to among the best in the country. For Udeinya, it was only the second PSAC East Freshman of the Year award in program history.
The start of Faulkner's legend?
"There were so many 'wow' moments," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel.
Maybe it was the way he carved up East Stroudsburg's vaunted press.
"We have struggled with their press for two years," said Stitzel. "He literally just dribbled through it. He not only did that, but he made the right play. It takes a special freshman to beat any press, let alone East Stroudsburg's press, especially when they had something to play for."
Maybe it was when Faulkner grabbed his teammates by the scruff of the neck and dragged them back into contention against NCAA Tournament qualifier West Chester with seven points and three assists in the first four minutes of the second half.
"Here we were struggling to score. It was one of those PSAC, in-the-20's-at-halftime kind of games," said Stitzel. "In the second half, he just took over in the first five minutes."
Maybe that moment was when Faulkner scored 35 points (the most on record by a Millersville freshman) and totaled eight assists and four steals while playing all 50 minutes of a double-overtime win against Kutztown, engineering a 15-0 run to close the game. Two of Faulkner's late steals resulted in the game-tying points and game-clinching points.
"The two steals he came up with when we went on the run, I didn't see them coming," said Stitzel. "It wasn't like I was on the sideline seeing the [rotation]. It was just, 'whoa, where did he come from?'"
Maybe it was the back-to-back game-winning shots on the road in January, helping Millersville beat Bloomsburg on the road for the first time since 2008 and ending a nine-game losing streak against Kutztown.
Then, of course, there was the first playoff game in Pucillo Gymnasium in four years where he opened the game with two buckets, three assists and three rebounds in the opening five minutes. He spun into the lane for a score. He euro-stepped between defenders and wrapped a no-look pass around another defender to a teammate for a layup. Then, just before halftime, with the Marauders leading by two, he confidently dribbled near half court, watching time tick away. When the clock hit six seconds, he drove hard to his right, stopped in a dime and lost his defender with a crossover dribble at the foul line, pulled up and splashed a 15-foot jumper as the buzzer sounded.
In his first-ever playoff game, he finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal.
Just a reminder, we are talking about a freshman.
For Stitzel, the first of those 'wow moments' came in the first two-hour workout of the preseason. Faulkner's maturity and intangibles were evident from the start.
"I was just amazed. I knew he was good, but he didn't think anything of it," said Stitzel. "He didn't care that he was a freshman."
There was very little about his play in 2018-19 that suggested he was a freshman. Stitzel says it's because Faulkner is comfortable in his own skin—a rare trait among 18-year-olds.
"He's not intimidated by anybody," said Stitzel. "He always shows up in the big games. You know when there are a thousand people in the stands and the game means something, you know he's going to show up. That's only going to get better as he gets more experience."
The way he came through in crunch time for the Marauders, it is not too early to call Faulkner a winner. He is used to it. He won a state championship as the starting point guard at Roosevelt High School and played in the ballyhooed DMV area—among the best high school basketball in the country.
"I live for those moments," said Faulkner. "When I see crowds, I don't shy away. I like it. It motivates me to play better."
It isn't bravado. The numbers back up Faulkner. In 14 games against PSAC Tournament teams, Faulkner led the team in points (15.6), assists (4.5), and steals (2.5) and ranked second in rebounding (5.6). In the season's final four games, all of which were against playoff teams, Faulkner averaged 22.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
By the time the Marauders reached the playoffs, it was clear that Faulkner was the engine that powered the Millersville machine. It was his team, and that's exactly why Stitzel brought him to Millersville.
"Especially at the point guard position, we try to get kids from a winning program," said Stitzel. "Roosevelt is one of the top programs in the DMV. He has natural leadership. He has every quality you are looking for."
"You have to set the tone and lead by example," said Faulkner. "When I got here, it was second nature. Coach told me we needed leadership, so I stepped right in. (Seniors) Marcus [Adkison] and [Amadou Kaba], they opened the door for me. They said 'this is your team in the future, so you might as well start now.' It wasn't a big deal."
It might have seemed second nature to Faulkner, but there is a reason only six Millersville freshman have ever been named All-PSAC East. Playing in the PSAC is like running a gauntlet.
"It is hard at any level, but this league is grown men," said Stitzel. "The PSAC is full of Division I players, older guys who have been lifting for three or four years. For him to come in and teams to have to make adjustments to him is a credit to how good he is and how good he is going to be."
Faulkner, however, was built for the PSAC. He's 6-4 with a powerful build that can stand up to the physicality of league play. A star quarterback and safety at Roosevelt, Faulkner plays basketball in a similar style. There is the speed and shiftiness to elude defenders (or traps), the strength to break through tackles (or finish at the rim with contact), the vision to find an open teammate for a touchdown (or 3-pointer) and the anticipation to intercept a pass (he ranked fourth in the PSAC in steals). Faulkner put those skills to use on the court, totaling the eighth-most steals in Millersville history (the only freshman in the top 10) and recording the seventh-best assist average ever.
There is reason to believe, however, that Faulkner is only scratching the surface on his basketball abilities. He spent his entire athletic career bouncing from basketball and football. He'd leave town with his AAU team, spend three days playing basketball and the day he'd return home, he would strap on the pads for summer workouts with his football team.
"He's never had an offseason," said Stitzel. "As soon as basketball was finished he would transition into football. There was no down time to work for three or four months on lifting or shooting 500 shots a day. He's hungry and ready for that. He's not happy with being as good as he was this year. He wants to take it to a whole new level."
Faulkner's love for both sports actually opened the door for Millersville. Faulkner saw a brighter future for himself in football as he was getting looks from Power Five teams as a safety and mid-majors liked him as a quarterback. On the court, a number of Division I mid-majors considered him, but because Faulkner couldn't commit to a sport, no school was willing to commit to him.
"Basketball coaches shied away because they thought I was committed to football, and football coaches thought I would play basketball. I fell under the radar because teams didn't want to take a chance on someone who was committed to both."
Stitzel wasn't worried about Faulkner's decision. The Millersville staff saw Faulkner play in a high school game and offered him immediately. Two weeks later, Faulkner visited Millersville. Faulkner knew right away that basketball at Millersville was his future.
"When I came on the visit, it just felt like home, like open arms," said Faulkner.
Stitzel got the commitment a short time later.
"His high school career ended on a Saturday at 6 o'clock and I got a text from him at 7 saying that he was committing," said Stitzel. "I was thrilled. I knew we needed a floor general."
In Faulkner, Stitzel got everything he expected and more. And now, Faulkner wants to have something else in common with John Parker, Phil Walker, John Fox, Charlie Parker and Toochi Udeinya. All five players helped team teams to deep national tournament runs and four of the five won PSAC Championships.
"I want to bring a PSAC Championship to Millersville," said Faulkner. "I think we can be a really good team and turn the program around. I want to make it to the NCAA Tournament and go a long way."
The legend begins.
"You need to stop pressing me. This is too easy."
East Stroudsburg forced more turnovers and generated more steals than any other team in the PSAC, but on that night, Faulkner was having fun.
That's Jaden Faulkner. And if you don't know him already, it's time that you do.
Here's a list: John Parker, Phil Walker, John Fox, Charlie Parker, Toochi Udeinya. Marauder fans know those names—hall of famers, icons of Millersville basketball with legendary achievements. The names carry almost mythical status. You can add Jaden Faulkner's name to that list.
John Parker, Charlie Parker, Walker, Fox, Udeinya and now Faulkner comprise the select group of Marauders named All-PSAC as a freshman. That's it. That's the list. It's an elite group, but after Faulkner averaged 14.3 points, 4.9 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game in 2018-19, his membership is deserved.
For the five players that Faulkner joined, there was a start to their legend. For John Parker, it was his sheer dominance in the paint. For Charlie Parker, it was the way he took the league by storm and got the Marauders to a PSAC Championship game as a rookie. For Phil Walker, it was his unmatched offensive prowess. For John Fox, it was his scoring, rebounding and shot blocking that elevated the Millersville teams of the 80's to among the best in the country. For Udeinya, it was only the second PSAC East Freshman of the Year award in program history.
The start of Faulkner's legend?
"There were so many 'wow' moments," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel.
Maybe it was the way he carved up East Stroudsburg's vaunted press.
"We have struggled with their press for two years," said Stitzel. "He literally just dribbled through it. He not only did that, but he made the right play. It takes a special freshman to beat any press, let alone East Stroudsburg's press, especially when they had something to play for."
Maybe it was when Faulkner grabbed his teammates by the scruff of the neck and dragged them back into contention against NCAA Tournament qualifier West Chester with seven points and three assists in the first four minutes of the second half.
"Here we were struggling to score. It was one of those PSAC, in-the-20's-at-halftime kind of games," said Stitzel. "In the second half, he just took over in the first five minutes."
Maybe that moment was when Faulkner scored 35 points (the most on record by a Millersville freshman) and totaled eight assists and four steals while playing all 50 minutes of a double-overtime win against Kutztown, engineering a 15-0 run to close the game. Two of Faulkner's late steals resulted in the game-tying points and game-clinching points.
"The two steals he came up with when we went on the run, I didn't see them coming," said Stitzel. "It wasn't like I was on the sideline seeing the [rotation]. It was just, 'whoa, where did he come from?'"
Maybe it was the back-to-back game-winning shots on the road in January, helping Millersville beat Bloomsburg on the road for the first time since 2008 and ending a nine-game losing streak against Kutztown.
Then, of course, there was the first playoff game in Pucillo Gymnasium in four years where he opened the game with two buckets, three assists and three rebounds in the opening five minutes. He spun into the lane for a score. He euro-stepped between defenders and wrapped a no-look pass around another defender to a teammate for a layup. Then, just before halftime, with the Marauders leading by two, he confidently dribbled near half court, watching time tick away. When the clock hit six seconds, he drove hard to his right, stopped in a dime and lost his defender with a crossover dribble at the foul line, pulled up and splashed a 15-foot jumper as the buzzer sounded.
In his first-ever playoff game, he finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal.
Just a reminder, we are talking about a freshman.
For Stitzel, the first of those 'wow moments' came in the first two-hour workout of the preseason. Faulkner's maturity and intangibles were evident from the start.
"I was just amazed. I knew he was good, but he didn't think anything of it," said Stitzel. "He didn't care that he was a freshman."
There was very little about his play in 2018-19 that suggested he was a freshman. Stitzel says it's because Faulkner is comfortable in his own skin—a rare trait among 18-year-olds.
"He's not intimidated by anybody," said Stitzel. "He always shows up in the big games. You know when there are a thousand people in the stands and the game means something, you know he's going to show up. That's only going to get better as he gets more experience."
The way he came through in crunch time for the Marauders, it is not too early to call Faulkner a winner. He is used to it. He won a state championship as the starting point guard at Roosevelt High School and played in the ballyhooed DMV area—among the best high school basketball in the country.
"I live for those moments," said Faulkner. "When I see crowds, I don't shy away. I like it. It motivates me to play better."It isn't bravado. The numbers back up Faulkner. In 14 games against PSAC Tournament teams, Faulkner led the team in points (15.6), assists (4.5), and steals (2.5) and ranked second in rebounding (5.6). In the season's final four games, all of which were against playoff teams, Faulkner averaged 22.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
By the time the Marauders reached the playoffs, it was clear that Faulkner was the engine that powered the Millersville machine. It was his team, and that's exactly why Stitzel brought him to Millersville.
"Especially at the point guard position, we try to get kids from a winning program," said Stitzel. "Roosevelt is one of the top programs in the DMV. He has natural leadership. He has every quality you are looking for."
"You have to set the tone and lead by example," said Faulkner. "When I got here, it was second nature. Coach told me we needed leadership, so I stepped right in. (Seniors) Marcus [Adkison] and [Amadou Kaba], they opened the door for me. They said 'this is your team in the future, so you might as well start now.' It wasn't a big deal."
It might have seemed second nature to Faulkner, but there is a reason only six Millersville freshman have ever been named All-PSAC East. Playing in the PSAC is like running a gauntlet.
"It is hard at any level, but this league is grown men," said Stitzel. "The PSAC is full of Division I players, older guys who have been lifting for three or four years. For him to come in and teams to have to make adjustments to him is a credit to how good he is and how good he is going to be."
Faulkner, however, was built for the PSAC. He's 6-4 with a powerful build that can stand up to the physicality of league play. A star quarterback and safety at Roosevelt, Faulkner plays basketball in a similar style. There is the speed and shiftiness to elude defenders (or traps), the strength to break through tackles (or finish at the rim with contact), the vision to find an open teammate for a touchdown (or 3-pointer) and the anticipation to intercept a pass (he ranked fourth in the PSAC in steals). Faulkner put those skills to use on the court, totaling the eighth-most steals in Millersville history (the only freshman in the top 10) and recording the seventh-best assist average ever.
There is reason to believe, however, that Faulkner is only scratching the surface on his basketball abilities. He spent his entire athletic career bouncing from basketball and football. He'd leave town with his AAU team, spend three days playing basketball and the day he'd return home, he would strap on the pads for summer workouts with his football team.
"He's never had an offseason," said Stitzel. "As soon as basketball was finished he would transition into football. There was no down time to work for three or four months on lifting or shooting 500 shots a day. He's hungry and ready for that. He's not happy with being as good as he was this year. He wants to take it to a whole new level."
Faulkner's love for both sports actually opened the door for Millersville. Faulkner saw a brighter future for himself in football as he was getting looks from Power Five teams as a safety and mid-majors liked him as a quarterback. On the court, a number of Division I mid-majors considered him, but because Faulkner couldn't commit to a sport, no school was willing to commit to him.
"Basketball coaches shied away because they thought I was committed to football, and football coaches thought I would play basketball. I fell under the radar because teams didn't want to take a chance on someone who was committed to both."
Stitzel wasn't worried about Faulkner's decision. The Millersville staff saw Faulkner play in a high school game and offered him immediately. Two weeks later, Faulkner visited Millersville. Faulkner knew right away that basketball at Millersville was his future.
"When I came on the visit, it just felt like home, like open arms," said Faulkner.
Stitzel got the commitment a short time later.
"His high school career ended on a Saturday at 6 o'clock and I got a text from him at 7 saying that he was committing," said Stitzel. "I was thrilled. I knew we needed a floor general."
In Faulkner, Stitzel got everything he expected and more. And now, Faulkner wants to have something else in common with John Parker, Phil Walker, John Fox, Charlie Parker and Toochi Udeinya. All five players helped team teams to deep national tournament runs and four of the five won PSAC Championships.
"I want to bring a PSAC Championship to Millersville," said Faulkner. "I think we can be a really good team and turn the program around. I want to make it to the NCAA Tournament and go a long way."
The legend begins.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
F
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Highlights: Millersville Men's Basketball vs. Kutztown (January 21, 2026)
Thursday, January 22
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Friday, January 16
Highlights: Millersville Men's Basketball vs. East Stroudsburg (January 7, 2026)
Thursday, January 08
