ATLANTA – Penn State men’s basketball graduate student Ace Baldwin Jr. is one of 15 Division I players, and the only player from the Big Ten Conference, to be named to the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club Wednesday afternoon.
Baldwin Jr. is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and leads the Nittany Lions with 43 steals this season. Widely regarded as one of the toughest defensive matchups in the country, Baldwin Jr. has put together a stellar season in the Blue & White and is averaging 14.0 points, 7.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
Baldwin Jr. is the NCAA’s active leader in career steals with 314 and is just six steals away from breaking into the top 30 all-time in the NCAA record book for career steals.
The Baltimore, Md. native owns career marks of 1,604 points, 787 assists and 314 steals, making him the only active Division I player and one of just nine Division I players since the 1947-48 season (77 years) to accumulate career marks of 1,500+ points, 700+ assists and 300+ steals.
The Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Watch List selection adds to Baldwin Jr.’s haul of midseason honors this week, which also includes being named to the USBWA’s Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List and being selected as a top 10 candidate for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.
Baldwin Jr. and the Nittany Lions return to action Saturday afternoon in a 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT tipoff at UCLA.
2025 Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
Ace Baldwin Jr. – Penn State
Johni Broome – Auburn
Lamont Butler – Kentucky
Cooper Flagg – Duke
Hayden Gray – UC San Diego
Ryan Kalkbrenner – Creighton
Tamin Lipsey – Iowa State
Jahmai Mashack – Tennessee
Cameron Matthews – Mississippi State
Stevie Mitchell – Marquette
Clifford Omoruyi – Alabama
Jayden Quaintance – Arizona State
Kadary Richmond – St. John’s
Joseph Tugler – Houston
Zakai Zeigler – Tennessee
The 2024-25 Penn State men’s basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.