ATLANTA – One day after being named the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Penn State men's basketball senior Ace Baldwin Jr. has been named as one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Award as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club Wednesday afternoon.
Baldwin Jr. became the third Penn State player to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, following Josh Reaves in 2019 and Calvin Booth in 1998. The point guard was also a third team All-Big Ten selection (coaches & media) and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. He earned Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year honors a season ago while playing at VCU and is now the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in his first season at Penn State.
Baldwin Jr. wrapped up the regular season leading the Big Ten and ranking fourth in the country in steals (84) and fifth in the country in steals per game (2.71). His 2.71 steals per game rank second amongst Power Six conference players.
His 2.71 steals per game overall tracks to be the most by a Big Ten player in a single season in the last 31 years (since 1993 - Pat Baldwin (Northwestern) 2.96 steals per game). His 2.70 steals per Big Ten game are the most by a Big Ten player in a single season in the last 10 years (since 2014 - Aaron Craft (Ohio State) 2.72 steals per Big Ten game).
The Baltimore, Md. native is the leader of a Penn State defense that leads the Big Ten in steals and ranks second in turnovers forced per game and turnover margin.
Baldwin Jr. is averaging 14.3 points per game, a team-best 6.0 assists per contest and 2.71 steals per game overall, with marks of 14.5 points, 7.0 assists and 2.7 steals per Big Ten game. Should he finish the season averaging 14.0+ points per game, 6+ assists per game and 2+ steals per game, Baldwin Jr. would be one of just four Big Ten players to do so since 1992-93 (31 years) and the first since former Nittany Lion standout Tim Frazier did so in 2011-12.
Baldwin Jr. is the only active Division I player with 1,000+ career points (1,271), 600+ career assists (606) and 250+ career steals (267). His 267 career steals rank second amongst active Division I players, while his 606 assists rank 17th.
Baldwin Jr. and the Nittany Lions begin the Big Ten Tournament tonight at approximately 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT when Penn State faces Michigan at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalists
Ace Baldwin Jr. – Penn State
Reece Beekman – Virginia
Johni Broome – Auburn
Devin Carter – Providence
Zach Edey – Purdue
Ryan Kalkbrenner – Creighton
Tamin Lipsey – Iowa State
Kevin McCullar Jr. – Kansas
Jamal Shead – Houston
Zakai Zeigler – Tennessee
