Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1505736
4 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M "Ace doesn't pull any punches. He wants to win, and his competitiveness, I think, really leaks to everybody else." M I K E R H O A D E S ACE IN THE HOLE Transfer point guard Ace Baldwin brings a winning mentality to Penn State's reconstruction project NAT E BAU E R | NAT E . B AU E R @ O N 3 . C O M M ike Rhoades had been on the job for just over a week, and he needed someone who could help him lay a foundation while also creating momentum for the thorough rebuilding project he had taken on ahead of his first season as head coach of the Penn State men's basketball team. In senior guard Ace Baldwin Jr., Rhoades got his man. Baldwin had spent the previous three seasons playing for Rhoades at Vir- ginia Commonwealth and was coming off a junior campaign in which he won both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Atlan- tic 10, becoming only the fourth person in conference history to collect those awards in the same season. His implicit e n d o rs e m e n t o f the Nittany Lions' new coaching re- gime gave the team the credibility it needed in order to fill up its roster. W i t h i n d a y s of Baldwin's an- nouncement, ju- nior guard Nick Kern Jr. publicly re- vealed that he would be following his former VCU teammate to State College. Soon after, sophomore guard Kanye Clary decided that he would remain at Penn State, and Clary's classmate Ja- meel Brown abandoned his plans to transfer. When asked in May about the players who would make the biggest impact for Penn State, Rhoades didn't hesitate to name Baldwin as the key building block. "We've got a group of guys I think that could impact our program in dif- ferent ways," Rhoades told reporter Jon Rothstein of the "College Hoops To- day" podcast. "But it's how we build this team that is the most important thing, led by Ace and some of these other guys." Steady Growth Hailed by coaches and teammates for his leadership, Baldwin has brought a winner's mentality to the Nittany Lions, having been the starting point guard for VCU teams that reached the NCAA Tournament two of the past three sea- sons. He's the keystone upon which the team has been reconstructed in the wake of the exodus that followed coach Micah Shrewsberry's departure for Notre Dame. While that responsibility might seem daunting to some, espe- cially with the new-look Lions having to follow up one of the most successful seasons in school h i s to ry, B a l dw i n carries it lightly. "I really don't feel like it's pres- sure," he said. "I'm built for this, and that's exactly why I came here, to be that type of guy. I just feel like I've got to be myself and just win. That's all." Baldwin did exactly that at VCU. As a true freshman during the COVID-im- pacted 2020-21 season, the Baltimore native started every game, averaging 6.7 points, 4.4 assists, 2.1 steals and 3.2 rebounds in 29.9 minutes per game. For the effort, he was awarded A10 All- Rookie Team honors. He's only grown from there. As a sophomore, his averages surged to 11.4 points, 5.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 3.5 re- bounds over 33.5 minutes per game. He earned a second-team all-conference nod in the process. Then last season, Baldwin continued his growth, contributing 12.7 points, 5.8 assists, 2.2 steals and 2.9 rebounds over 34.9 minutes. His steady play and resolute leader- ship helped the Rams go 68-25 during his three seasons as a starter, including a 39-11 mark against Atlantic 10 com- petition. VCU won the A10 regular- season and tournament championships in 2023. In the conference title game against Dayton, Baldwin had a team- high 16 points and 7 assists, lifting the Rams to a 68-56 victory. Baldwin said that when he's with his teammates he's "the funny guy [who] brings that energy around." Whether the team is battling back from a dis- appointing loss or relishing a victory, the looseness that Baldwin adds to its chemistry is infectious. Rhoades has