Penn State Basketball's Ace Baldwin Jr. Sweeps Postseason Honors

Basketball

Penn State men’s basketball has cleaned up at the postseason Big Ten awards, with senior point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. taking home some of the conference’s top honors.

Baldwin was named the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, becoming just the third Nittany Lion ever to earn that accolade. He was also a third-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media, and earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team.

The 6'1" guard from Baltimore has been a lockdown defender all season, leading the Big Ten and ranking 4th nationally with 84 steals (2.71 per game). His 2.71 steals per game is the highest single-season mark by a Big Ten player in 31 years.

“Ace’s defensive intensity and ability to disrupt the opponent’s offense is truly special,” said Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry. “He takes so much pride in being a lockdown defender and making life miserable for the guy he’s guarding. That energy is contagious for our team.”

In addition to his on-ball defensive prowess, Baldwin also quarterbacked Penn State’s stingy overall defense that led the Big Ten in steals and ranked 2nd in turnovers forced.

His offensive game was no slouch either. Baldwin averaged 14.3 points and 6.0 assists per game, putting him on pace to become just the 4th Big Ten player since 1993 to average 14+ points, 6+ assists and 2+ steals.

“Ace means so much to our team with his leadership, competitiveness and production at both ends,” Shrewsberry added. “He’s been incredible for us and is certainly deserving of these prestigious honors.”

Several of Baldwin’s teammates also earned conference recognition:

  • Qudus Wahab: Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches)
  • Nick Kern Jr.: Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches)
  • Zach Hicks: Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches)
  • Puff Johnson: Big Ten Sportsmanship Award

The 10th-seeded Nittany Lions open Big Ten Tournament play on Wednesday night against 7-seed Michigan in Minneapolis. With Baldwin leading the way, Penn State will look to parlay its strong regular season finish into a deep postseason run.