Tag: Ace Baldwin

Penn State basketball lands elite 2025 guard Kayden Mingo

Penn State landed the highest-ranked recruiting in the history of their basketball program!

It has been an incredible start for Penn State basketball this season in the second year under head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag]. He admitted that things didn’t quite go as expected or planned in the 2023-24 campaign, but after attacking the transfer portal again and bringing in a solid freshman class, the Nittany Lions are rolling.

They scored 100 points in back-to-back games for the first time in program history, signaling that Rhoades might be bringing the exciting brand of basketball to Happy Valley that he promised when he was named head coach.

How the rest of the season goes will be seen, but there is no reason to believe they will slow down when the holiday tournaments get underway and they get into conference play.

As for the future of the program, one things Rhoades has always done no matter where he’s been is recruit at a high level.

Penn State brought in four players as part of the 2024 class, landing them outside the top 65 when it comes to national rankings, but the 2025 cycle has seen them take it to the next level.

First, they earned a commitment from 6-foot-11 in-state big man Justin Houser back in June. That was followed up by landing four-star win Mason Blackwood from the state of New York.

Now, Penn State has landed the highest-ranked recruit in the history of the program with four-star guard [autotag]Kayden Mingo[/autotag] announcing he has committed to the program.

“The energy at Penn State is second to none. The program is great, I really enjoyed watching their practice. The facilities were beautiful and they really impressed me also. The coaches told me they plan on me coming in and they want me to be their point guard and run the show,” he told Nate Bauer of BlueWhiteIllustrated.

This is a major get for Rhoades and the program.

With star guard [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] expected to depart after this season, Penn State needs another dynamic player who can run this offense and be the point of attack on defense and with the ball in his hands.

That’s the type of player Mingo is.

Ranked No. 43 in the 2025 class by On3’s Industry Ranking, the New York native could be the future star of this program going forward as Penn State tries to build up their basketball program in a loaded Big 10 Conference.

Penn State basketball getting visit from Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year

Penn State basketball is preparing for a major official visit from one of the top players in Maryland.

All eyes are on Penn State’s football program with official visits kicking off this weekend, but there is plenty of action taking place for other programs.

The basketball team got some huge news when their star [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] announced that he was returning to the team for the upcoming season. That will not only allow them to compete this year, but it also gives head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] another chance to establish his culture and build momentum.

One thing that Rhoades and his staff did well during his tenure at VCU was being able to land high-end recruits to a mid-major program.

He’s currently trying to do that for the Nittany Lions, something that they should be able to do when giving prospects the chance to compete in a Power 4 conference.

The good news keeps flowing for Penn State on the hardcourt as one of their top targets in the 2025 class has revealed he will be visiting Happy Valley in August.

Consensus four-star recruit [autotag]Cam Ward[/autotag] is ranked as the 38th-best player in the country by ESPN coming off him winning Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland.

The 6-foot-6, 190-pound prospect spoke with Jamie Shaw of On3 about his recruitment after taking two official visits to Florida State and Notre Dame. It’s no surprised that those two are the leaders in the clubhouse, but Penn State is going to get a real look as Ward thinks what Rhoades and his staff are doing will translate well going forward (subscription required).

He’s playing AAU basketball for Team Durant on Nike’s EYBL Circuit this summer and will look to narrow down his list after everything finishes up.

How this relationship progresses will be seen, but it’s huge positive that someone of Ward’s magnitude has the Nittany Lions on his radar and will take a trip to campus.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Kanye Clary removed from Penn State men’s basketball roster

Penn State’s leading scorer Kanye Clary no longer part of the program

The up and down season for the Penn State men’s basketball programs after news was released that their leading scorer, [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag], was no longer part of the team after comments from head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] on Monday.

“Kanye’s no longer with the team. Coach’s decision. We’re going to just keep moving forward with and focus on the guys we got, the task at hand,” Rhoades said at the Bryce Jordan Center.

This shocking turn of events comes after the sophomore guard didn’t make the trip to Nebraska on Saturday where the Nittany Lions lost 68-49. He is now no longer on their online roster after Rhoades’ comments.

Clary was one of the biggest surprises in the Big Ten this year, becoming one of the conference’s top scorers before an injury caused him to miss two games. He returned in a bench role for the next three games.

During his absence, Penn State won games over Rutgers and Indiana on the road. They also beat Iowa at home when Clary returned from injury but lost against Northwestern and Michigan State.

This announcement comes at a strange time in the season.

The Nittany Lions only have five more games remaining before the Big Ten tournament begins and will need a Cinderella type of run to get back into March Madness.

At the time of his dismissal, Clary was averaging 16.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

“Next man up. Let’s continue to build this the right way, work really hard, keep putting it together,” Rhoades said.

Whether this is a direct shot at the sophomore guard is unknown, but it’s peculiar messaging after someone as talented at Clary was dismissed.

He was a holdover from Micah Shrewsberry’s first Penn State recruiting class after he decided to stay in Happy Valley upon the hiring of Rhoades. It seemed like things were working out early as he improved just about every aspect of his game from year one to year two.

Now, [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] will be the feature guard with [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] and [autotag]Jameel Brown[/autotag] getting more playing time in the backcourt.

How this impacts the team will be seen, but it’s a shocking announcement at this point in the year.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Penn State basketball picks up massive road win over Indiana

Penn State basketball storms out of Indiana with massive Big Ten win.

For much of the season, Penn State had been a completely different team on the road compared to at home playing in the Bryce Jordan Center.

This week was going to be a huge test for the Nittany Lions as they had two consecutive road games at tough places to play.

They earned a gritty victory over Rutgers and headed out to Indiana for a massive Saturday matchup and to play in a place they hadn’t won since 2014.

Once again, Penn State would have to compete without their leading scorer [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag], and once again, they were able to pull off an upset win.

This might have been the most complete game the Nittany Lions have played all season, beating the Indiana Hoosiers 85-71.

It started out tough, getting into a 10-point hole about seven minutes into the game. That deficit largely stayed for the majority of the first half, until three-pointers started to fall and they entered halftime down 41-37.

Penn State took their first lead of the game just about four minutes into the second half after back-to-back threes from [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] and [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] to make it 45-43.

Similarly to what they did against Rutgers, once the Nittany Lions grabbed the lead, they never gave it back.

Their defense stifled much of what Indiana could do in the second half and allowed their offense to continue operating at a high level.

Baldwin was spectacular, scoring 22 points on 8-14 shooting while adding eight assists, but it was the role players who stepped up in big way and got Penn State an important Quad 2 victory.

Hicks had his best game in a Nittany Lions jersey. He made four threes on 50-percent shooting, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds and two steals.

[autotag]Jameel Brown[/autotag] lit it up coming off the bench, hitting four threes of his own to score 14 points.

[autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag] continues to give Penn State the much-needed size they’ve been missing. Not only did he battle inside, but he was an offensive threat in the post, scoring 14 points, while also pulling down seven rebounds.

Coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] has said he thinks this team is close, no matter how things have looked to begin the year.

It seems like he was right as the Nittany Lions picked up their second consecutive road win.

Penn State basketball wins tough road test against Rutgers

Penn State picks up first road win of the season with a tough effort at Rutgers.

Heading into Penn State’s matchup against Rutgers, they knew they were down a man with [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] not making the trip due to an injury he suffered against Minnesota in their last game.

His absence in the second half against the Golden Gophers was a major reason why they blew big halftime lead.

Traveling to face Rutgers is a hard task, even with one of their best players.

The Nittany Lions quickly got into a 6-0 hole to start the game after missing four shots in a row. From the start this had all the telltale signs that this was going to be a slugfest.

10 minutes into the game Rutgers had a 14-7 lead.

But seven was the most points they ever led by throughout the rest of the contest.

Penn State took their first lead with six-and-a-half minutes left in the half after [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] stole the ball and laid it in. The Nittany Lions didn’t trail the rest of the way once that shot went through the net.

What won them the game was their defense.

This has been a major issue for Penn State throughout the season, something that is the antithesis of [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] coached teams.

However, they forced 20 turnovers, had 13 steals, held Rutgers to 34% shooting from the field and 1-17 from three-point range. They also held the Scarlet Knights without a field goal for a roughly 16 minutes of game time.

The Nittany Lions extended their two point halftime lead and really dominated the second half to win 61-46.

Without his backcourt mate Clary, Baldwin was tremendous, finishing with 15 points on 5-11 shooting while adding seven assists, five rebounds and five steals.

After getting pulled early in the game for lack of intensity, [autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag] also put together a great game with nine points, 11 big rebounds and two blocks.

Stepping in for Clary, [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] showcased what he can do, hitting two threes on 50% shooting from that range to help him get to 14 points while pulling down seven rebounds.

Winning on the road is difficult in Big Ten play and Penn State was able to walk out of this physical, gritty contest with a victory.

Hopefully this builds some confidence for their second consecutive road game this Saturday against Indiana.

Penn State basketball gets signature upset win over No. 8 Wisconsin

Penn State upset no. 8 Wisconsin!!!

This season has not exactly gone smoothly for Penn State this season, but they were able to get the first signature win of the [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] era with a massive 87-83 victory over the no. 8 Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday night.

After a snow day canceled class for the day, students were given free tickets and half price on chicken baskets to come see the Nittany Lions play at the Bryce Jordan Center.

The arena was packed and they were treated to the best moment of Penn State’s season so far.

The Nittany Lions got out of the gates quickly when [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] hit a three-pointer to start things off. Their hot start to the game quickly put Wisconsin in chase mode and Penn State was able to get an early 10 point lead five minutes into the half.

They held this lead for the entire first half, never trailing the ranked Badgers for one second.

In the past, the Nittany Lions have failed to piece together 40 minutes of solid basketball. Rhoades implored his team to clean up mistakes before this game to give themselves an opportunity to win.

They accomplished that and then some.

Despite Wisconsin constantly knocking on the door, threatening to take the lead, Penn State kept attacking and making shots, answering anything the Badgers did in their attempted comeback.

Things got dicey with five minutes left as the Badgers took a 70-68 lead following made three-pointer from Max Klesmit.

However, [autotag]Nick Kern[/autotag] made four-straight free throws on back-to-back possession to give the Nittany Lions a 72-70 lead once again.

They never trailed again, inducing the crowd to storm the court after pulling off their first win over a top-15 team since Jan. 30, 2021.

[autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] was spectacular once again, scoring a game-high 27 points and adding four rebounds and three assists. 19 of those points were in the second half.

Baldwin might have had his best game in a Nittany Lions uniform, scoring 20 points on 7-11 shooting and hitting four out of his five three-pointers after making his first four attempted. For a player struggling with his long-range shooting, this was a great sign.

Kern was inserted into the starting lineup and had his third-straight game scoring double-digits with 15 points.

This was the best Penn State has played in the Rhoades era and it was fitting they were able to pull off a major upset.

Tuesday night could be the moment the season turns around for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State basketball loses tough game against Northwestern

Penn State basketball started hot against Northwestern but couldn’t finish off the Wildcats.

Penn State was coming off a big momentum win against Michigan over the weekend when they played in Philadelphia at The Palestra. After trailing by 10 at the half, they were able to rally and get a victory in front of the pro-Penn State crowd.

The Nittany Lions looked to build upon that performance against Northwestern on Wednesday when they started the game off hot and took an eight-point lead into halftime.

For all intents and purposes, this was the best Penn State has looked in a first half in a while. They were flying around on defense, forcing seven turnovers with five steals, and were sharing the ball effectively.

Shooting at a 55.6% rate in the first half, the Nittany Lions were able to make up for their poor defensive performance that saw them allow 50.0% shooting from the field and 62.5% from three.

However, things changed in the second half.

It didn’t start that way as Penn State pushed their lead to 10 points four minutes in, but a 15-0 run by Northwestern allowed them to take a 62-55 lead.

The Wildcats to their first lead with 11:25 left in the half.

Penn State was never able to regain it and lost 76-72.

It was another frustrating showing from the Nittany Lions who allowed Northwestern to shoot an unthinkable 75% from the field in the second half by going 15-20.

The once flowing Penn State offense in the first half became stagnant as they shot 37% from the field in the second half and only had four assists compared to seven in the first.

The same things are hurting the Nittany Lions.

They allow too many made shots, despite forcing a high rate of turnovers, and are not a good three point shooting team, despite jacking up a lot of them.

This has not been an easy season for Penn State fans to watch by any means, but the program is also in a building phase.

Positives can still be taken from this game.

[autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] continues to showcase his talent, as he can officially be considered the team’s best player. He scored 25 points on 7-13 shooting, his fifth game out of six with over 20 points.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] couldn’t build off his offensive explosion against Michigan, but his six points didn’t stop him from recording his career high in steals with eight.

This was also [autotag]Nick Kern[/autotag]’s best game since coming to Penn State, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

While that is a good sign going forward, it doesn’t change the fact the Nittany Lions still held a lead of 10 points throughout this game and had a real opportunity to beat Northwestern for the sixth time in a row.

Instead, they have dropped another close game.

Penn State basketball recruit in attendance for win against Michigan

Penn State basketball had a key recruit in the stands in Philly to watch the big win over Michigan.

Penn State basketball got a much needed victory in Philadelphia this past Sunday against Michigan.

This was their second trip to The Palestra in as many seasons, but this time, they came away with a 79-72 win in front of a sold-out crowd.

It didn’t seem like that was in the cards early on as they entered halftime with a 10 point deficit. But, they exploded in the second half, scoring 52 points, to leave The Cathedral of College Basketball with a victory, pushing their season record to 8-7 and 2-2 in conference play.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] had his best game since joining Penn State, finishing with his Big Ten career high 25 points and adding four assists and three steals.

While this is certainly a moral booster for the players currently in the program, it also could give the Nittany Lions momentum for one of their top class of 2025 recruits, [autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag], who was in attendance.

The 6’10” forward is listed as the 94th player in the country and No. 4 in Pennsylvania according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

He spoke with Dushawn London of 247Sports about his recruitment and where he stands with Penn State (subscription required).

Gilhool said he’s a fan of how the Nittany Lions play and how they envision his role as a versatile big man with the team. He’s been in contact with the coaching staff but was looking forward to seeing them in person again when he attended their game at The Palestra in an unofficial fashion.

As of now, the only place he’s taken an official visit to is Syracuse, but he’s not narrowing his focus onto any one school or group of schools in particular at this moment.

He told London his recruitment is very open right now and is listening to every school who is interested in him before ultimately cutting his list down in the spring or early summer.

That timeline is a rough estimate, but he said he’d like to give a commitment in the fall during his senior year.

Gilhool would be a great addition for Penn State, adding size and versatility, while landing a Top-100 player in the country and one of the best in the state.

This recruitment process will be one to continue monitoring.

Photos from Penn State’s big win against Michigan at The Palestra

Check out the best photos from Penn State’s basketball victory over Michigan in The Palestra in Philadelphia.

Things were not looking great for Penn State early on against Michigan in The Palestra in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon, but a big second-half surge by the Nittany Lions led to an exciting victory in front of a sold-out crowd in the City of Brotherly Love. Down by as many as 14 points, Penn State rallied for a 79-74 victory over the Wolverines, bringing a happy close to what has been a chaotic few days for Penn State on the road.

Penn State flew straight to Philadelphia from Michigan due to plane issues following Thursday night’s road game at Michigan State, which was a tough way to follow up a blowout loss to the Spartans. But a weekend ending with a victory in one of college basketball’s storied venues and doing so against a conference opponent is pretty encouraging.

Ace Baldwin Jr. helped lead the way to a victory with 25 points. After a slow start in the first half, Kanye Clary came alive in the second half and ended the game with 18 points.

Penn State improved to 8-7 this season and 2-2 in Big Ten play. Penn State’s next game will be a more traditional home game against Northwestern on Wednesday evening in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s basketball victory over Michigan in The Palestra.

Penn State basketball loses heartbreaker at Madison Square Garden

Penn State basketball lost a tough one in the Big Apple.

Every game at Madison Square Garden feels a little bit different. The aura of the arena and the basketball history that has taken place there makes games there much more special than at other places.

For Penn State, the game against Georgia Tech also had a different feel to it after completely an improbable comeback against Ohio State on Dec. 9.

That win against the Buckeyes stopped a five-game skid and gave the Nittany Lions new life on the season ahead of this matchup against Georgia Tech and games versus Le Moyne and Rider on the horizon.

However, the same things that have plagued Penn State during this difficult stretch were present.

Their defense is a legitimate issue.

They’ve allowed their opponents to shoot 45% or higher from the field in seven of the last eight games, including a 45.1% by Georgia Tech on Saturday.

That’s one of the reasons why the Yellow Jackets went into halftime with a 39-37 lead.

Penn State came out of the locker room ready to play and things started seesawing a big after [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] tied things up at 39. They took a 45-43 lead with 16:56 remaining in the second half, but the defense was an issue again, getting them into a 63-54 hole with around 10 minutes left.

The biggest lead of the game happened at the 8:38 mark following a Dallan Coleman made three to extend Penn State’s deficit to 10 points. But instead of rolling over, the Nittany Lions made a big push.

They clawed their way back to make it 71-69 with 3:49 remaining that seemed to last forever. The next points weren’t scored until [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] made a free throw. Penn State then took a 72-71 lead with 1:19 to go after a [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] layup.

Ultimately, the Nittany Lions were able to force overtime after trailing by double digits in the second half.

How many Penn State fans will remember this one was by them being on the wrong side of a horrendous call.

With 23 seconds left, Clary made a jumper to give the Nittany Lions a 81-80 lead and needing just one stop to get this victory. After a [autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag] block, Miles Kelly of Georgia Tech rebounded the ball but was falling backwards.

The officials called a foul on [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] although there was no contact made.

Kelly made two free throws since they were in the bonus and Penn State missed a desperation heave as time expired to lose the game 82-81.

It’s a tough pill to swallow considering this might have been the best game the backcourt has played together. Clary finished with a game-high 23 points and added seven rebounds. Baldwin had 18 points, seven assists, four steals and made four threes. Dunn added 17 points off the bench and Johnson scored 15, all in the second half, which was his highest mark of the year.

Now, the Nittany Lions will look to build upon this with two easy games coming up before hitting conference play full time.