Penn State men’s basketball point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. will return to the Nittany Lions for his fifth year of eligibility, he announced Friday.

Baldwin followed former VCU head coach Mike Rhoades to Happy Valley, transferring here after spending three years with the Rams. During his time at VCU, Baldwin won the Atlantic 10 Defensive and Player of the Year awards in 2023.

In his first year with the Nittany Lions, Baldwin started 31 games and played in all 33 Penn State’s contests. He averaged a career-high 14.2 points, six assists, and 2.7 steals a game, while also grabbing 2.7 rebounds a game.

Baldwin’s defense and playmaking were the highlights of his first season in Happy Valley and because of that, he was named the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as well as Third-team All-Big Ten. He is also still in the running to be named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, as he was named as one of the 10 semifinalists.

With his decision to return to Happy Valley, Baldwin is joined by fellow teammates from the previous season in Puff Johnson, Nick Kern Jr., Zach Hicks, and D’Marco Dunn, as well as according to 24/7 Sports, a Top 25 recruiting class for 2024.