Ace Baldwin Jr.

Ace Baldwin Jr.
	Baldwin with VCU in 2020
No. 1 – Penn State Nittany Lions
Position	Point guard
League	Big Ten Conference
Personal information
Born	June 7, 2001 (age 23); Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school	Saint Frances Academy; (Baltimore, Maryland)
College	VCU (2020–2023); Penn State (2023–present);
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

Baldwin grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and attended Saint Frances Academy.^[1] 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.^[2] Baldwin repeated as the co-Player of the Year as a senior.^[3] 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.^[4]

College career

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.^[5]^[6] 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.^[7]

The start to Baldwin's sophomore season was delayed due to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the offseason.^[8] 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.^[9]

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.^[10] 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.^[11]

He was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, and first-team All-Atlantic 10.^[12] Baldwin entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season following the departure of VCU head coach Mike Rhoades.^[13]

On April 9, 2023, Baldwin announced that he would be transferring to Penn State for his senior season, joining his former coach Mike Rhoades.^[14] As a senior, Baldwin averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game.^[15] 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.^[16] 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.^[17]

Career statistics

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


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