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Ace Baldwin Jr.

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Ace Baldwin Jr.
Baldwin with VCU in 2020
No. 1 – Penn State Nittany Lions
PositionPoint guard
LeagueBig Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2001-06-07) June 7, 2001 (age 23)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolSaint Frances Academy
(Baltimore, Maryland)
College
Career highlights and awards
  • Atlantic 10 Player of the Year (2023)
  • Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2024)
  • Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year (2023)
  • First-team All-Atlantic 10 (2023)
  • Second-team All-Atlantic 10 (2022)
  • Third-team All-Big Ten – Coaches (2024)
  • Big Ten All-Defensive Team (2024)

Adrian Tyrone "Ace" Baldwin Jr. (born June 7, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference. He previously played for the VCU Rams.

Early life and high school career

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Baldwin grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and attended Saint Frances Academy.[1] His nickname, "Ace", was given to him as a baby, a reference to the film Paid in Full.[2] He was named the Metro Player of the Year after averaging 14 points, six assists, four rebounds, and four steals per game during his junior season.[3] Baldwin repeated as the co-Player of the Year as a senior.[4] He was rated a four-star recruit and committed to playing college basketball for VCU over offers from Virginia, Villanova, Georgetown, Maryland, Kansas State, and Seton Hall.[5]

College career

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Baldwin started all 26 of the VCU Rams' games during his freshman season and averaged 6.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game.[6][7] Following a 19-7 regular season, Baldwin's VCU team clinched an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament, but forfeited following a COVID-19 outbreak on the team.[8]

The start to Baldwin's sophomore season was delayed due to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the offseason.[9] He returned in December and was named second-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference after averaging 11.4 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.[10]

As a junior, Baldwin averaged 12.7 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. On February 3, 2023, Baldwin notched a career high 37 points in a 73-65 victory over Saint Louis.[11] On March 12, 2023, Baldwin scored 16 points and notched 7 assists in the Atlantic 10 Championship game, in which VCU defeated Dayton 68-56. He scored 13 points in his first and only NCAA Tournament game, a 63-51 loss to Saint Mary's.[12]

He was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, and first-team All-Atlantic 10.[13] Baldwin entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season following the departure of VCU head coach Mike Rhoades.[14]

On April 9, 2023, Baldwin announced that he would be transferring to Penn State for his senior season, joining his former coach Mike Rhoades.[15] As a senior, Baldwin averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game.[16] On January 10, 2024, Baldwin set a career-high and tied a Penn State record with eight steals in a 76-72 loss to Northwestern.[17] Following the regular season, Baldwin was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and a semifinalist for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year.[18]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 VCU 26 26 29.9 .372 .260 .769 3.2 4.4 2.1 .0 6.7
2021–22 VCU 24 24 33.5 .417 .413 .743 3.5 5.5 2.5 .2 11.4
2022–23 VCU 30 30 34.9 .421 .342 .795 2.9 5.8 2.2 .1 12.7
2023–24 Penn State
Career 80 80 32.8 .408 .347 .774 3.2 5.2 2.3 .1 10.4

References

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  1. ^ "Adrian 'Ace' Baldwin leads No. 2 St. Frances over No. 1 Mount Saint Joseph, 81–65, for 3rd straight BCL crown". Baltimore Sun. March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  2. ^ "Johnson, Baldwin Jr. discuss best part of game day". NBC Sports. November 14, 2023.
  3. ^ "2018–19 All-Metro boys basketball Player of the Year: Adrian Baldwin, St. Frances". Baltimore Sun. April 3, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  4. ^ "Players of the year: Adrian Baldwin & Justin Lewis". Baltimore Sun. March 31, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "Point guard Adrian 'Ace' Baldwin commits to VCU, becoming first piece of important 2020 recruiting class". Richmond Times-Dispatch. April 14, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  6. ^ "Players with Baltimore ties in the 2021 NCAA basketball tournaments". Baltimore Sun. March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  7. ^ "No. 1 Baldwin aces assists for VCU Rams". Richmond Free Press. February 18, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  8. ^ Forde, Pat (March 20, 2021). "'It's Brutal': VCU's Forfeit a Gut Punch to March Madness". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  9. ^ "VCU's Ace Baldwin, recovering from Achilles injury, returns to live action in practice". Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 3, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "With Ace Baldwin Jr. orchestrating, VCU takes opener". Richmond Times-Dispatch. November 8, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  11. ^ "BALDWIN TORCHES BILLIKENS FOR 37, RAMS TAKE A-10 LEAD". Virginia Commonwealth University. February 3, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "Ace Baldwin Jr. Career Game Log". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  13. ^ Gonzalez, Will (March 7, 2023). "VCU's Baldwin named A-10 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year". WRIC.com. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  14. ^ Casadonte, Lane (March 30, 2023). "Rams star Ace Baldwin, numerous VCU teammates enter the transfer portal". WTVR.com. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  15. ^ "Former VCU guard Ace Baldwin transferring to Penn State". The Athletic. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  16. ^ "Ace Baldwin Jr. College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  17. ^ Jones, Ben (January 11, 2024). "5 Takeaways From Penn State's Loss to Northwestern". StateCollege.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  18. ^ "Baldwin Jr. Named Semifinalist for Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year". Penn State Athletics. March 13, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
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