Tag: Ace Baldwin Jr.

Penn State basketball rallies against Purdue Fort Wayne to remain undefetaed

Penn State’s men’s basketball scored 100 points for the third time this season.

Penn State’s men’s basketball team has been showing off a hot offensive flair this season, and it needed it in a big way Wednesday evening. Penn State trailed Purdue Fort Wayne at halftime but put together a big second-half to pull out a 102-89 victory to improve to 5-0.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led the way with 25 points and 11 assists with seven rebounds and two steals. He played a huge factor in the second half with 15 of his point coming after halftime as Penn State worked its way back from what was a double-digit deficit late in the first half. [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] hit five 3-pointers in the game as he continues to give the Nittany Lions a threat beyond the arc. Hicks had 17 points in the win.

Penn State is 5-0 for the first time since the start of the 2019-20 season, a season in which Penn State appeared to be on track to reach the NCAA Basketball Tournament before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the tournament down. This was Penn State’s third game scoring at least 100 points, a feat that has occurred just one other time in program history (1954-55).

Penn State was picked to finish 17th in the 18-team Big Ten according to an unofficial Big Ten preseason media poll, but Penn State’s good start to the season has led to some questions about whether or not this team is legitimately better than anticipated. It’s true Penn State’s strength of schedule hasn’t been the most intimidating so far, and the bigger challenges still await the team moving forward. But the way this season has started has been encouraging to see.

Penn State will now head to Daytona Beach, Florida for next week’s Sunshine Slam tournament. Penn State is scheduled to face Fordham on Monday afternoon and will play either Clemson or San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon.

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Ace Baldwin Jr. records double-double as Penn State blows out Virginia Tech

Ace Baldwin Jr. and Zach Hicks each scored 19 points in Penn State’s latest victory.

After starting off the season with a few wins at home, the Penn State men’s basketball team took a trip down to Baltimore on Friday evening to face Virginia Tech, another 3-0 team. It was all Penn State from the opening tip as the Nittany Lions took care of the Hokies in an 86-64 victory in the Hall of Fame Series.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led Penn State with 19 points and 10 assists as he played in his hometown of Baltimore. Last season’s Big Ten defensive player of the year added three steals and a couple of rebounds. [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] also had 19 points in the win and showed off a hot hand from three-point range with five 3-pointers.

Penn State also got double-digit point efforts from Nick Kern (16 points) and Freddie Dilione V (11 points). As a team, Penn State recorded 16 steals. Puff Johnson helped give Penn State some breathing room after Virginia Tech cut the lead to nine points early in the second half. Johnson scored seven straight points.

This is the third straight season Penn State has started the year off with a 4-0 record, and this was the fourth win over Virginia Tech in the last five meetings with the ACC school. This is also the first time Penn State has scored 80 or more points in four consecutive games since the 2019-2020 season.

Penn State will return home next week for its next game. Penn State will host Purdue Fort Wayne in the opening round of the Sunshine Slam.

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Penn State basketball hits the century mark in 2024-25 season opener against Binghamton

Penn State basketball rolls past Binghamton in 2024-25 season opener.

Penn State men’s basketball used a dominant first half to roll past Binghamton in the 2024-25 season opener. The Nittany Lions hit the century mark against the Bearcats, winning 108-66.

PSU’s 108 points are tied for the fourth most in program history. It was Penn State’s first 100-point game since 2017 and the first 100-plus point effort in a regulation game since 2009. The win also clinched the program’s eighth straight season-opening win.

Penn State shot 50.7 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point range while adding 25 points from the charity stripe.

The Nittany Lions were led offensively by sharpshooting forward [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag], who scored 22 points on 9 of 12 shooting, including knocking down four of his six 3-pointers. Hicks was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection last year and led the Nittany Lions with 67 made 3-pointers while shooting 41.3 percent from 3-point range. Hicks was on fire throughout the second half knocking, scoring 13 of his 22 points.

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Reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] was his usual self, recording three steals to go along with his 15 points, including hitting four of his five 3-pointers. His defense was a factor in the team, generating 31 points off the 21 Binghamton turnovers.

Penn State came out of halftime, lighting it up and hitting six of its first seven shots, including three behind the arc. That run gave the Nittany Lions the separation they needed to run away with the victory.

The Nittany Lions continue their homestand Friday evening when Penn State takes on UMBC. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

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Full Penn State men’s basketball schedule for 2024-25

Here is the full regular season schedule for the Penn State men’s basketball 2024-25 season.

Penn State is in its second year under head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag]. The Nittany Lions went 16-17 in the first year under Rhoades and is hoping to surprise many around the Big Ten this season. The Nittany Lions were picked by Big Ten media to finish toward the bottom of the expanded conference, and this will likely be a bit of a rebuilding season following a good amount of roster turnover from last season.

Star point guard [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] returns to the program for his final year of eligibility. The former VCU standout and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year is coming off a year in which he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from Big Ten coaches last season.

One of the newest additions to watch from the recruiting trail will be center [autotag]Miles Goodman[/autotag]. The four-star recruit was Penn State’s second highest-ranked recruit in program history at the time of his commitment to the program and is expected to be a centerpiece of the Rhoades era turning the program into a more consistent competitor.

Here is Penn State men’s basketball schedule for the 2024-25 season:

  • Nov. 4 – BINGHAMTON, 7:30 p.m., B1G+
  • Nov. 8 – UMBC, 6:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Nov. 12 – SAINT FRANCIS (Pa), 7:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Nov. 15 – Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m., Peacock
    Baltimore, Md., CFG Bank Arena
  • Nov. 20 – PURDUE FORT WAYNE, 7:30 p.m., B1G+
  • Nov. 25 – Fordham, 4:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network
    Daytona Beach, Fl., Ocean Center
  • Nov. 26 – Clemson or San Francisco, 1:30 p.m. or 4:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network
    Daytona Beach, Fl., Ocean Center
  • Dec. 1 – BUFFALO, 2:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Dec. 5 – PURDUE*, 6:30 p.m., FS1
  • Dec. 10 – at Rutgers*, 7:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Dec. 14 – COPPIN STATE, 12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Dec. 21 – at Drexel, 12:00 p.m.
    Philadelphia, Pa., Wells Fargo Center
  • Dec. 29 – PENN, 1:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Jan. 2, 2025 – NORTHWESTERN*, 7:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Jan. 5 – INDIANA*, 12:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
    (Philadelphia, Pa., The Palestra)
  • Jan. 8 – at Illinois*, 9:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 12 – OREGON*, 4:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 15 – at Michigan State*, 7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 20 – RUTGERS*, 6:30 p.m., Peacock
  • Jan. 24 – at Iowa*, 9:00 p.m., FS1
  • Jan. 27 – at Michigan*, 6:30 p.m.. Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 30 – OHIO STATE*, 6:30 p.m., FS1
  • Feb. 4 – MINNESOTA*, 7:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 8 – at UCLA*, 4:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 11 – at USC*, 9:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 15 – WASHINGTON*, 2:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 19 – NEBRASKA*, 6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 22 – at Minnesota*, 2:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 26 – at Indiana*, 8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Mar. 1 – MARYLAND*, 12:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Mar. 8 – at Wisconsin*, 1:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Mar. 12-16 – Big Ten Tournament
    Indianapolis, In.

“*” denotes Big Ten Conference game.

All times are Eastern.

Penn State basketball wins charity exhibition game vs. Lafayette

Ace Baldwin Jr. helped fuel a second-half run to help Penn State pull away from Lafayette in an exhibition win.

The start of the new college basketball season is just about here, and the Penn State Nittany Lions are looking to surprise many this year. The second season under head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] unofficially got underway Friday night with a charity exhibition game against Lafayette on the campus of Lebanon Valley College, Rhoades’ alma mater. Penn State came out on top of the Leopards by a final score of 79-64 with [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] scoring 11 points, nine assists and two steals.

Penn State was led by [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag]’s 15-point night, which also included five rebounds and four blocks. [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] added 13 points and hit all three of his three-point attempts.

Penn State jumped out to an early lead before Lafayette cut things down to a one-point game but the Nittany Lions went on an 11-0 run fueled by a [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] three-pointer. Penn State led 38-31 at halftime and used a 22-9 run led by Baldwin Jr’s three-point shooting to pull away in the second half for the exhibition win.

Penn State is expected by many in the Big Ten media to finish toward the bottom of the conference this season. The Nittany Lions, in their first year under Rhoades, went 16-17 last season, with a Big Ten record of 9-11. Penn State won its first-round matchup in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament against Michigan before dropping a close game against Indiana in the second round. After their Big Ten exit, Penn State did not play in a postseason tournament.

Penn State men’s basketball officially begins its 2024-25 season on Monday, Nov. 4 with a home game against Binghampton in the Bryce Jordan Center.

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Penn State basketball uniform numbers revealed for the 2024-25 roster

Find out every Penn State basketball player’s 2024-25 jersey number.

Uniform number reveals are definitely not the most exciting part of the college basketball offseason, especially at a football school like Penn State.

The Nittany Lions will have eight new players this fall with five freshmen and three transfers, meaning there are a lot of new faces and jerseys roaming around the Bryce Jordan Center for Penn State fans to know. Returning star point guard [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] will hold down the No. 1 jersey, while fellow seniors [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] will remain No. 2 and No. 3, but how about the rest of the squad?

As usual in college basketball, the single digits are everything. [autotag]Jahvin Carter[/autotag], the third highest-rated member of the incoming class, secured No. 0 while projected starting center [autotag]Miles Goodman[/autotag] and second highest-rated recruit in Penn State history according to 247Sports, snatched No. 8.

The team should be getting together soon for summer workouts as many freshmen begin to move onto campus. [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] is in his second season as Penn State’s head coach and will look to improve upon a 16-17 season from a year ago.

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Ace Baldwin Jr. announces return to Penn State in 2024-25

Penn State basketball heads into the holiday weekend with a big announcement from Ace Baldwin Jr.

Penn State men’s basketball head coach Mike Rhoades should be going into the Memorial Day weekend with a smile on his face. One of his best players, and most important transfer additions since taking on the job, [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag], announced he is coming back for another year with the Nittany Lions.

Baldwin announced his decision to return to Penn State for another season with a video on his social media account. His return is a big one for the Nittany Lions after seeing some roster changes with the transfer portal since the close of last season. Baldwin will take on even more of an important role on the court for Penn State next season.

Baldwin averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 assists, 2.67 steals and 2.7 rebounds per game last season. He was also named the Big Ten defensive player of the year and was a semifinalist for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year. He also received Third-Team All-Big Ten honors from Big Ten coaches and media.

Baldwin followed Rhoades to Penn State from VCU. After Rhoades was named the head coach of Penn State from VCU, Baldwin was one of the first players to join the Nittany Lions through the transfer portal.

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With loss of Kanye Clary, Penn State must lean even more on Ace Baldwin Jr. in 2024

Penn State basketball could really use Ace Baldwin Jr. back on the court in 2024-25.

Penn State had a disappointing first season under coach Mike Rhoades in 2023, finishing ninth in the Big Ten and 16-17 overall. Despite bringing in a robust transfer class that included two of his former VCU players [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] and Nick Kern, the team never fully gelled together.

It didn’t help that sophomore guard and leading scorer [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] was dismissed from the team by Rhoades in mid-February. With his transfer to Mississippi State ending his time in Happy Valley, it will fall to returning players to pick up the scoring slack left behind.

Penn State returns five of their top seven scorers from last season, but only one who averaged double digits. Ace Baldwin Jr. was the focal point of Penn State’s defense, earning him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He also served as their primary playmaker and secondary scorer, averaging 14.2 points and 6.0 assists. In 2024, they may need him to take on even more.

Rhoades has dipped into the transfer portal again with the addition of Xavier big man Kachi Nzeh, but he is unlikely to make a huge impact offensively.

There are serious questions about whether Baldwin Jr. can handle much more as a scorer, especially with his already poor shooting splits. Similar questions surround the other top returning scorers, however, with just forward Puff Johnson and guard Nick Kern shooting above 40% from the field this season.

Rhoades will need multiple players to step up their shot-making ability in 2024 to take pressure off of Baldwin Jr., but the bulk of the responsibility still falls on him. 2024 will be his final college season, and I know he has his eyes set on making a return to the NCAA tournament. To do so, he must become a more efficient and consistent offensive threat.

I think he has the talent to make it happen, but he may need to sacrifice some of his energy on defense to do it. Will the trade-off be worth it? That’s what he and coach Rhoades will need to determine this offseason. Maybe one or more of their complementary scorers take a huge leap, but there’s no guarantee of that happening. I know I will be looking forward to seeing how they fair in 2024.

Best photos from the Penn State 2023-24 men’s basketball season

Let’s take a look back at some of the best photos we gathered from throughout the men’s basketball season.

Penn State came into the 2023-24 season with a new head coach and a reworked roster, but the goal remained the same; to make it back to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. That goal ultimately was unfulfilled as Penn State went through a challenging year without much luck on the road or on a neutral court, and the first season under new head coach Mike Rhoades has come to a close.

But the season was not without its bright spots and moments worth cherishing and remembering moving into the offseason. It was unexpected Penn State would have much success this year given the circumstances, but the work is already being done to build a program that will be more competitive in the years to come with more frequent trips to the NCAA postseason hopefully on the horizon. But before we look ahead, let’s take a few moments to look back.

Here is a look back at some of the best photos we gathered from this past men’s basketball season.

Penn State seniors surge past Maryland in regular-season finale (photos)

Check out the best photos from Penn State basketball’s regular-season finale and senior night victory over Maryland.

Penn State honored its seniors on the basketball court on Sunday night and the seniors led the way to a home win against Maryland with a massive second-half effort. Penn State led Maryland by four points at halftime but pulled away in the second half as the regular season came to a close with a 49-37 scoring advantage in the second half of an 85-69 victory over the Terrapins.

Penn State’s seniors combined for 65 points in the win powered by a double-double from [autotag]Qudus Wahab[/autotag] (19 points, 15 rebounds) and [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] (17 points, 11 assists). [autotag]RayQuawndis Mitchell[/autotag] (14 points), [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] (13 points), and [autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] (10 points) all scored in double figures for the Nittany Lions.

This marked the seventh straight home win for Penn State over Maryland. Now both teams will be heading off to the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament this week in Minnesota, with each being paired up in a first-round matchup.

Next up for Penn State is a first-round matchup in the Big Ten conference tournament against Michigan on Wednesday, March 13. A win will set up a second-round matchup with Indiana. Maryland will face Rutgers in the first round with the winner set to face Wisconsin in the second round.

Here are some of the best photos from the regular-season finale against Maryland.