Penn State Hoops’ Ace Baldwin Jr. Named Naismith National Defensive Player Of The Year Semifinalist
The accolades keep rolling in for Ace Baldwin Jr.
The Penn State men’s basketball point guard was named a 2024 Naismith Men’s College Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist, the organization announced Wednesday. This comes a day after Baldwin was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and tabbed to the All-Big Ten Third Team.
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) March 13, 2024
ATTENTION
Introducing the 2024 Naismith Men’s College Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalists
Click here to learn more: https://t.co/EyG5rvXmEp#DPOYNaismith pic.twitter.com/uIG2slsIVG
Heading into the Big Ten Tournament, Baldwin is averaging 14.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.7 steals per game. The Baltimore, Maryland, native wrapped up his senior season with 84 steals, which is the fourth-best nationally.
Before transferring to Penn State, Baldwin led his previous VCU team to the NCAA Tournament. The former Ram was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year as a junior last season.
Zach Edey of Purdue joins Baldwin alongside the other 10 semifinalists as the only two Big Ten representatives considered for the award.
Baldwin will aim to add to his impressive resume in the Big Ten Tournament. The Nittany Lions face No. 14-seeded Michigan in the opening round at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Folks can stream the game on Peacock.
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“[Baldwin] is one of the top guards in the country. So for me to come in and watch what he does every day and how he works. It’s a great position for me to be in for the next few years.”