UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men's basketball head coach Mike Rhoades announced the additions of Adrian "Ace" Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. to the Nittany Lion program Tuesday. Baldwin, the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and Kern both come to Happy Valley after playing under the leadership of Rhoades at VCU.
Adrian "Ace" Baldwin Jr. – 6-1 Guard – Baltimore, Md. – St. Frances Academy – VCU
Baldwin became the fourth player in Atlantic 10 history to win both Player and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season this past year at VCU. The point guard led the Rams in scoring (12.7 ppg), ranked 15th nationally in assists per game (5.8) and 19th nationally in steals per game (2.23) while leading VCU to the 2022-23 Atlantic 10 regular-seasons and tournament championships and an NCAA Tournament appearance this season. He also earned first team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Defensive Team honors while serving as the catalyst for a VCU defense that ranked 15th nationally in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency metric.
Baldwin is a two-time All-Atlantic 10 honoree, having earned second-team honors during his sophomore season in which he averaged 11.4 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 41.3 percent from 3-point range during the 2021-22 slate. Baldwin made an immediate impact upon arrival in Richmond, starting all 26 games of his freshman season and earning a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team. He averaged 4.4 assists per game during his rookie campaign, the most by a freshman in VCU history.
Baldwin brings career collegiate marks of 829 points (10.4 ppg), 419 assists (5.2 apg) and 183 steals (2.3 spg) to Happy Valley. A winner through-and-through, Baldwin helped guide the Rams to a 68-25 record, two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT appearance through his three seasons at VCU.
A Baltimore native, Baldwin enjoyed a standout high school career at St. Frances Academy where he was a three-time first team All-State selection, the two-time All-Metro Player of the Year, three-time Baltimore County Tournament MVP and three-time first-team All-Baltimore County honoree.
Rhoades on Baldwin: "We are excited to have Ace in our basketball family. He is a proven successful college basketball player, point guard and leader. We can't wait to get him on campus and get to work."
Nick Kern Jr. – 6-6 Guard – St. Louis, Mo. – Vashon – VCU
Kern played in 66 games throughout his two years at VCU and is coming off a strong sophomore season that saw him start the final 19 games of the season while appearing in all 35 contests. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 62.0 percent from the floor in 17.6 minutes per contest. A strong defensive player, the high-motor guard helped lead VCU's disruptive defense that ranked top-15 in the nation in defensive efficiency. In his 19 starts during the 2022-23 season, Kern shot 66.7 percent (60-90) from the field, helping lead the Rams to an NCAA Tournament berth and the Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament titles.
An immediate impact player upon arrival at VCU, Kern appeared in 31 games during his freshman season in 2021-22 and averaged 10.1 minutes per contest.
A St. Louis native, Kern led his Vashon High School team to three state championships and four district titles during his prep career. He was named the Missouri Class 4 Player of the Year by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association as a senior after he averaged 18.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while leading Vashon to a state title. He also starred for the TruVision and Brad Beal Elite AAU programs.
Rhoades on Kern: "We're really happy to have Nick join us in Happy Valley. He brings so many things to our program both on and off the court and is another great fit for our basketball family here at Penn State."
