Penn State men’s basketball guard and the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year Ace Baldwin Jr. will return to the Nittany Lions for his fifth year of eligibility, he confirmed on Friday.
Baldwin had not previously entered the transfer portal or the NBA Draft process, and deadlines for both have passed. In turn, Baldwin’s return had been assumed at this point, although not officially announced in an era not short on announcements.
Baldwin followed Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades from VCU, where he had won the Atlantic 10 Defensive and Player of the Year awards during his final season with the Rams. He was the first player to commit to the Nittany Lions after Rhoades took the job and was a key piece of the Nittany Lions’ program-building process and offensive identity in 2023-24.
He averaged a career-high 14.2 points, six assists and 2.7 steals, along with 2.7 rebounds, per game in his first season at Penn State. Baldwin’s role in the Nittany Lions’ offense and his overall production improved following the departure of fellow guard Kanye Clary, who was dismissed from the team just past the midway point of the season.
Baldwin’s return marks the final piece to Penn State’s core group of returning starters as he is set to join Nick Kern Jr., Puff Johnson, Zach Hicks and D’Marco Dunn. The Nittany Lions have added several players through the transfer portal to further add size and depth to Penn State’s roster in Rhoades’ second year at the helm of the program.
