Tag: Patrick Baldwin Jr

Scouting Report: 2021 five-star Patrick Baldwin Jr.

After tackling a number of Wisconsin commits in our BadgersWire scouting report series, we now turn to one of the top in-state recruits in the history of the Badger state. Patrick Baldwin Jr. is the truth. The class of 2021 “small forward” (in …

After tackling a number of Wisconsin commits in our BadgersWire scouting report series, we now turn to one of the top in-state recruits in the history of the Badger state. Patrick Baldwin Jr. is the truth. The class of 2021 “small forward” (in reality, he does not have a true position) has an NBA frame and an NBA jumper to go along with it. The Sussex, Wis. (Hamilton) native recently released his top ten schools, and had Wisconsin included with the likes of ACC powerhouses Duke (where he has been closely linked), North Carolina, and Virginia. He also has family ties included on his list as his father Patrick Baldwin Sr. is the Head Coach at UW-Milwaukee.

Patrick Baldwin Jr. in one word: Ok, I have to cheat with this one. Using two words, the 6-foot-9 prospect can best be described as under control. There are nearly no moments on tape where the Hamilton star looks rushed, frazzled, or like he is not playing at his own pace. In fact, oftentimes he looks like he is playing at a completely slower pace than others around him, yet he dominates games without being in a hurry.

Breaking it down: Breaking down Baldwin Jr’s strengths begins with his jump shot. When you watch the five-star prospect shoot it almost looks like his shot was created in a lab. His mechanics are scary good. Like NBA sharpshooter Klay Thompson-level good. At 6-foot-9 with tremendous length, he can get his shot off against almost anybody at any time. Whether it’s a pull-up three in transition, a quick catch-and-shoot, or an off the dribble jumper, Baldwin Jr. can cash it because of consistent mechanics and a quick trigger.

His handle is fluid and consistent for his size. There is an element of smooth in his dribble moves, and he has quite a few in the bag. The Wisconsin native has a bounce to his step with the basketball in his hands and the explosive ability to go up and over nearly all defenders at the high school level.

Baldwin Jr. also excels with his face-up game. Instead of playing with his back to the basket, he is more comfortable facing up against his defender and making a quick move off the dribble.

As I previously said, there never seems to be any rush in the five-star prospect’s game. Couple that with his size, length, and mobility, to go along with a perfect jump shot from a mechanics perspective, and you have one of the best offensive recruits in the history of Wisconsin high school basketball.

In terms of his size, many will say that the class of 2021 prospect needs to add muscle in the weight room. At under 200 pounds and 6-foot-9, he will certainly add muscle at the next level, but just how much should he add to his frame? When I watch Baldwin Jr., one of the first NBA comparisons that pops into my mind is Kevin Durant. Durant is not only one of the greatest scorers in the history of the game, but also a player that is known as the ‘slim reaper’ and a star that never added to his frame in a significant way. The way Baldwin Jr. plays and the direction that the game is headed in makes me question just how much he should change his physique.

Overall: Whoever gets the Wisconsin product is obviously landing one of the best players in the country. It is hard to find a glaring weakness offensively, and the combination of a pure jump shot, mobility, and size is rare to see at any level. If things go as planned for a player that is currently a consensus top-five prospect in his class, Baldwin Jr. is going to be a high-NBA lottery pick.

 

Wisconsin in the top-10 for 2021 five-star SF Patrick Baldwin Jr.

The Badgers are in the top ten for one of the best players in the class of 2021

[lawrence-newsletter]The state of Wisconsin’s best player in the class of 2021 has cut his list to ten schools, and his hometown Wisconsin Badgers made the cut. Five-star Patrick Baldwin Jr. released his top ten this afternoon via Twitter.

The Badgers were on a list with elite company. Baldwin Jr. is a consensus five-star prospect and is ranked as the third best overall player in his class by 247sports. Among the blue-chip prospect’s list are powerhouse schools in Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky. In addition, the UW-Milwaukee Panthers made the cut. The Panthers are a notable possible destination for the five-star as Baldwin’s father, Patrick Baldwin, is the Head Coach at UW-Milwaukee. The Badgers are still in the competitive fight for one of the nation’s best players in the class of 2021.

The 6-foot-9 forward is a transcendent talent, and an immediate program-changer for any school on his list. The five-star prospect has in the gym range to go along with an athletic, long frame. The Sussex, Wisc. (Hamilton) native is a back-to-back first team all-league selection as a high school player. Baldwin Jr. has consistently been viewed as the top player in the state of Wisconsin for 2021.

Earlier this season, the sharpshooter dropped 41 points and set a new school scoring record against Menomonee Falls. Watch Baldwin Jr. catch fire:

 

Blue chip, five-star recruits are not the answer for Wisconsin. The Badgers have an identity that works

High school basketball in the state of Wisconsin has exploded over the last decade. Even specifically in the last few years, the high school talent level in the state is different than ever before. Historically, five-star basketball prospects are …

High school basketball in the state of Wisconsin has exploded over the last decade. Even specifically in the last few years, the high school talent level in the state is different than ever before. Historically, five-star basketball prospects are not offensive lineman in Wisconsin. They do not grow on trees.

Over the past few years, however, Wisconsin has seen elite high school basketball talent. Tyler Herro is a name that most Badger fans do not want to hear. The former 2018 five-star recruit infamously de-committed from Wisconsin in favor of Kentucky after John Calipari swooped into the picture. It’s hard to argue with his decision, as the former Whitnall star was having a solid rookie year with the Miami Heat before the NBA suspended the season. In the 2020 class, Jalen Johnson is the top-ranked player in the state of Wisconsin. The 6-8 forward is a consensus five-star product, and eventually signed with Duke. UW made their play for the Milwaukee native, but eventually lost out to the Blue Devils.

Looking forward to 2021, Patrick Baldwin Jr. is one of the top-ranked prospects in the history of the state of Wisconsin. Listed as number three overall nationally by ESPN, 247sports has the Sussex Hamilton star leaning towards Duke.

The trend of this story is easy to see: Wisconsin high school basketball is at an all-time best and the Badgers are missing out on most of the top players in the state. But the question I want to ask is would UW be better off at making aggressive plays for five-star recruits? Wisconsin basketball has a brand. That brand is defined as we over me. Being a Badger is about winning and building community over a number of years at the college level. Being a Kentucky Wildcat is about making it to the next level. There’s nothing wrong with either way of running a program. They are simply different styles.

Did Herro make the best decision for himself? Absolutely, and I think that it is hard to look at his results and think anything differently. At the same time, are the Badgers really better off throwing time, energy, and resources at trying to steal five-star recruits from Duke and Kentucky, even if those players are in-state? Or is a school that does not have the basketball brand of a Duke or Kentucky better off recruiting players that will not only buy into the program on day one, but also play at UW for multiple years? I think the latter is where Wisconsin is better off. We have seen examples of this in Greg Gard’s 2020 and 2021 recruiting classes. There are players coming into this program that are going to be excellent Badgers, and be at Wisconsin for four, maybe even five years assuming a redshirt or two. We even see it on the players returning next year, many of which made massive leaps from 2018-19 to this past season.

Also, does the fact that Wisconsin is not the best place for a one-and-done recruit mean that the Badgers cannot develop talent? No, not at all. In fact, it is hard for me to think of a player over the last decade (I am a young guy) that Wisconsin has ruined in terms of NBA potential. Sam Dekker was the highest recruit of that decade, and he went 18th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Kentucky and Duke are excellent at what they do, and over the past decade Wisconsin has proved to be excellent at what they do. There are multiple ways to build a successful college basketball program. Should the Badgers turn away a five-star recruit who wants to play in Madison? Of course not. But it does not have to be the focus of Badger recruiting for this team to find success. Wisconsin should not be Duke or Kentucky. The Badgers should be the best version of themselves that they can possibly be.

Top remaining targets for Wisconsin in the class of 2021

With the all of the members of the 2020 recruiting class signed, here’s a look at Wisconsin’s top remaining targets in the class of 2021.

Wisconsin has officially secured its five scholarship commits in the class of 2020, as Ben Carlson, Johnny and Jordan Davis, Lorne Bowman, and Steven Crowl all put pen to paper and signed their letters of intent to play for Greg Gard on the first day of the early signing period yesterday.

As it has been a while now, all eyes are now on the 2021 class, where the Badgers are off to a fantastic start early on with commitments from Matthew Mors, Chris Hodges, and Chucky Hepburn. However, the staff is looking to add at least one and possibly even two more prospects to this class.

Here the top three remaining targets on Wisconsin’s board.

1. Julian Roper – Shooting Guard

Hometown: Franklin, Mich.

Rankings (per the 247Sports composite): 4-star (No. 36 SG, No. 152 overall)

Other offers: Northwestern, Alabama, DePaul, Illinois, Iowa, Miami (Ohio), Missouri, Ohio State and Toledo

Wisconsin has been a major player in Roper’s recruitment since extending an offer to the 6-3, 183-pound prospect in February, to the point where the Badgers could very well be the favorite as things stand today.

An athletic, high-upside guard who can slash to the basket and knock down shots from outside, Wisconsin doesn’t have players like Roper in its backcourt very often, and Gard and company have heavily prioritized him as a result. Additionally, it certainly doesn’t hurt the Badgers’ chances that they have Bowman, a high school teammate of Roper, in his ear about continuing their partnership in the backcourt at the next level.

Wisconsin is in such good shape here that many Badger fans felt there was a possibility Roper would pull the trigger and commit during his official visit last weekend, though that ultimately did not come to pass.

While Wisconsin has been trending in Roper’s recruitment, if it isn’t able to lock him down before the start of the AAU season in the spring, the competition is likely to ramp up significantly given his talent and the fact that he plays on the high-profile Nike EYBL circuit. Keep a particularly close eye on what in-state powers Michigan and Michigan State do here, as the Wolverines and the Spartans remain in play even though offers haven’t been extended.

2. Logan Duncomb – Center

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Rankings (per the 247Sports composite): 4-star (No. 15 C, No. 123 overall)

Other offers: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio), Winthrop and Xavier

Wisconsin already has a couple of frontcourt prospects committed in Mors and Hodges, but the staff wouldn’t mind adding a center to this class as well.

The Badgers have offered two 4-star recruits at the position in Duncomb and Jackson Grant (Olympia, Wash.), but the latter is off the board after committing to Washington last week. However, the good news is that Wisconsin appears to be sitting in a pretty good position for Duncomb at the moment.

The 6-9, 225-pound center has the typical skill set that the Badgers love to have in their system with his versatile, inside out offensive package, so it’s no surprise that Duncomb has become a priority target for the staff.

As with Roper, the Badgers were able to snag a crucial official visit from Duncomb in October.

An Iowa legacy, the Hawkeyes are a major factor in the recruitment as well, and Wisconsin is also facing stiff competition from Indiana and Ohio State at the moment.

3. Patrick Baldwin Jr. – Small Forward

Hometown: Sussex, Wis.

Rankings (per the 247Sports composite): 5-star (No. 2 overall)

Other offers: Duke, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, North Carolina, Northwestern, Arizona State, DePaul, Iowa, Kansas State, LSU, Minnesota, Missouri, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Wake Forest and UW-Milwaukee

Baldwin could give 2020 Duke signee Jalen Johnson a run for his money as the best player to ever come out of the state by the time his prep career is over.

There’s also a strong case to be made that the 6-8 forward is the nation’s best player in the class of 2021 with his package of excellent positional size and length, lights-out shooting, athleticism, intangibles and advanced skill set. Baldwin will almost certainly be a one-and-done prospect for whichever college program is fortunate enough to secure his services for a season, and we could potentially be talking about a lottery selection in the NBA draft if all goes according to plan.

As a result, it’s no surprise that Baldwin is being heavily pursued by teams that make up the royalty of college basketball, such as Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina. The Blue Devils, in particular, appear to be out in front to land the best prospect in Wisconsin for the second straight season as things stand today.

While the chances of Baldwin ending up in Madison are incredibly slim, don’t be surprised if the Badgers hang around in this recruitment for a while given the proximity to home and a longstanding relationship between assistant coach Howard Moore and his father, UW-Milwaukee head coach Patrick Baldwin.