Growing up in Baltimore molded Ace Baldwin Jr. into the type of player and person he is today.
Daniel Gallen quoted Baldwin in a recent article saying, “It shaped me [Baldwin] a lot. I played up my whole life.”
“I think Baltimore just gave me that toughness. It gave me that toughness and that mentality.”
In his return to his hometown, Baldwin showcased that grittiness, diving for steals, pressing 94 feet and even getting charged with a technical in the first half.
“You see I was too excited. I got a technical foul… But it was very fun. [It was a ] great atmosphere and it was very exciting,” Baldwin said postgame.
This tenacity and leadership powered Penn State to a dominant 86-64 win over Virginia Tech Friday night. Just as everything else has looked this year, the way Ace goes is the way this team goes.
BALDWIN DELIVERS IN FRONT OF HIS HOME CROWD
Ace Baldwin Jr. led all scorers with a 19-point double-double in Penn State’s 86-64 win over Virginia Tech. Photo via Penn State Athletics.
Through the first three games of the year, Baldwin was averaging 12 points on 38 percent shooting. Even though his scoring efficiency was down, he made winning plays, which showed up in his 3.1 box plus-minus (meaning his team was three points better per 100 with him on the floor through the first three games)
But, Friday night ended on a different note. Baldwin came out the gates aggressive, contributing four points and two assists as Penn State rushed out to a 10-2 lead.
“As a point guard, I like getting my teammates involved first before I get going,” Baldwin said postgame.
A man of his word, Baldwin consistently looked for his teammates until he took over in the second half, at one point trailing Virginia Tech by only seven points himself (12-19).
He finished the night with 19 points (5-for-11 shooting), 10 assists and three steals, asserting himself on both ends.
His city ๐ @yeah_ace3 #WeArePennState | https://t.co/YYObU38MYH pic.twitter.com/1hDSKj8mYd
โ Penn State Menโs Basketball (@PennStateMBB) November 16, 2024
PUFF JOHNSON IS THE STABILIZER
Puff Johnson led all scorers with 20 points in Tuesday’s 92-62 win over Saint Francis. Photo via Penn State Athletics.
Tuesday, Saint Francis wasn’t backing down to the more talented Penn State.
At one point, the Red Flash took a 34-33 lead with 2:17 left in the first half.
Then, Puff Johnson happened.
On a corner lift, he buried a three to regain the lead for Penn State. On the ensuing possession, Johnson got a steal and went coast-to-coast for an and-one layup.
Six points in 17 seconds.
Just like that, Penn State closed the half on a 12-4 run and never looked back, winning by 30 points. Johnson finished the game with a career-high 20 points.
Friday night, Johnson once again stepped up when his team needed some extra juice to put the game out of reach.
With Penn State struggling to make a shot for a significant portion of the first half (6:31 to be exact), it was in a close battle with Virginia Tech.
Two minutes into the second half, the Hokies’ Mylyjael Poteat sunk a free throw to make it a nine-point game. But Johnson had a response just like he did against Saint Francis.
He went on a personal 9-2 run, extending the Penn State lead to 15. Virginia Tech never got back within that margin.
Johnson was in foul trouble throughout the night, but his timely buckets and steals gave PSU all the momentum it needed to put the game to rest. These two Johnson performances are like that of a Jedi, always seeking to maintain balance and ready to step in when it is thrown off.
WHO COULD ย MATCH PENN STATE’S DEPTH?
Mike Rhoades speaking with the media ahead of Friday’s clash with Virginia Tech. Photo via Penn State Athletics.
Depth is a term used loosely these days in sports media.
Often used to describe when a team has significant talent up and down its roster, depth can often be interpreted as meaning “you have a nice squad.”
But, just because your team has high-end talent does not mean it has depth.
Not only does Penn State have talented players, but Mike Rhoades could nearly go 10 deep in his rotation on any night (at least eight players have recorded double-digit minutes through four games). And that’s not just because all of his players are talented but because they are a pack of “dawgs”.
10 guys that just want to get in your stuff and wear you down over 40 minutes.
Absolute relentless defense by this squad.
Up 19 points and still hitting the ground for loose balls off deflections.
โ Brennan Valladares (@Valladares7B) November 16, 2024
And because of how Rhoades recruited in the offseason, any time he makes a substitution, the players possess similar skills on both ends of the ball. Any talent drop-off is almost negligible to the naked eye.
What does this mean?
Well, it means for 40 minutes, Penn State is going to attack you in waves. Baldwin gets replaced by 6-foot-5 Dominick Stewart. Freddie Dilione V is replaced by Nick Kern Jr. Yanic Konan Niederhauser is replaced by Kachi Nzeh. No matter who is on the floor, Penn State can play multiple defensive coverages and hound its opponents into submission.
Weโve seen it in the last two games. Saint Francis kept it close despite turning the ball over 12 times in the first half. Eventually, though, Saint Francis ran out of steam and Penn State kept coming.
Against Virginia Tech, the game was within single digits until fatigue started forcing mental errors and sloppy passes.
Rhoades has a fresh set of legs on his bench at all times, and it’s players who he knows can make an impact on winning. He was intentional with how he built his team this year, and in the early going, it’s looking like any team that can match Penn State’s relentlessness will be few and far between.
