Lefty Driesell Award Finalists
BOSTON – Penn State men’s basketball graduate student Ace Baldwin Jr. has been named one of 30 finalists for the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in Division I college basketball.
Baldwin Jr., who was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight year earlier this week, leads the Big Ten and ranks 10th nationally in steals per game. He became just the sixth Big Ten player to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors in two-straight years, and the first player from Penn State to earn the award in back-to-back years, while also earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection by both the conference coaches and media and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive team.
Baldwin Jr. wrapped up the regular season leading the Big Ten and ranking 10th in the country in steals per game, averaging 2.37 steals per contest. The Baltimore, Md. native is the leader of a Penn State defense that ranks second in the Big Ten in steals per game (8.1) and third in turnovers forced per game (14.06). He was one of 15 players in the country, and the only player from the Big Ten, named to the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist in February.
Baldwin Jr. is Division I’s active career leader in steals (342) and his 831 career assists rank third amongst active Division I players. His 342 career steals are tied for 15th most all-time by an NCAA Division I player.
He is the only active Division I player and one of just five Division I players since the 1947-48 season (77 years) with 1,700+ career points (1,716), 800+ career assists (831) and 300+ career steals (342).
Baldwin Jr. finished the regular season averaging 14.0 points per game, 7.1 assists per game and 2.37 steals per contest, making him one of just two players in the country to average 14.0+ points, 7.0+ assists and 2.0+ steals per contest. He is one of just five Big Ten players in the last 32 years (since 1992-93) to finish a season averaging 14.0+ points, 6.0+ assists and 2.0+ steals per game in a season, and has now done so in back-to-back seasons.
The Nittany Lion standout also ranks third nationally with a 92.7 free throw percentage and sixth in Division I with his 7.1 assists per game. His 7.1 assists per game is a program record for single-season assist average, while his 213 assists this season is the second-most in a single season in school history. He was named a top 10 finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award earlier this season, in addition to landing a spot on the Oscar Robertson Trophy National Player of the Year Midseason Watch List.
The Lefty Driesell award is named in honor of the legendary coach who spent over four decades as a head coach, winning 786 games in 41 years. The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com. The 2025 award will be announced in San Antonio, the site of the Division I men’s basketball championship.
The 2024-25 Penn State men’s basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.