Early into Penn State’s domination of Coppin State, a game in which PSU had 70 points with 11:40 left in the game, Ace Baldwin Jr. received a Yanic Konan Niederhauser screen.
Baldwin halted once he got to the free-throw line and lobbed a pass up to Konan Niederhauser, leading to an and-one bucket from the big man.
Baldwin’s second assist of the day was his 700th career dish, making him one of only two active Division I players to have reached that mark. That pass above was only the beginning of what was a historic day for Baldwin though.
For the game, Baldwin’s 16 assists set a new career high and broke the 49-year Penn State record for single-game assists. He broke the record after setting up this Puff Johnson layup.
Baldwin’s passing has been on another level this year and has been the gasoline to the firey start Penn State is off to this season.
INFECTIOUS OUTBREAKS TEND TO BE BAD, UNLESS IT’S PASSING THE ROCK
This year, Baldwin is posting career passing numbers:
- 8.7 assists per game (accounting for Saturday’s totals)
- 37.3 assist percentage (percentage of the number of field goals a player assisted on while they were on the floor)
He ranks within the top five for total assists and assists per game in the country. If he continues this pace, it would be the first time he’s ever ranked top five for both categories in a season.
Baldwin’s willingness to set up his teammates hasn’t only boosted his assist totals, but also those of Penn State as a whole.
The Nittany Lions are averaging 19.1 assists per game after recording a program-record 31 assists against Coppin State. For the season, PSU has assisted on 61 percent of its made field goals.
Keeping the ball “hot”, as Mike Rhoades has used to describe ball movement, is infectious. Everyone is involved in connecting the dots on a Penn State score. This style of play looks like so much fun that Rhoades himself has thought about suiting up for old times’ sake.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“Heck, I’d rather play than watch,” he said after PSU had 25 assists in a win against Purdue-Fort Wayne.
“It’s just fun, right? You know it, that just says they’re playing the right way … and there’s enough opportunities for everyone to get their piece … One day it’s your turn, the next day it’s somebody else’s … We want the ball to be hot. Who cares who gets credit? … It’s all about Penn State getting a score.”
Normally, outbreaks need to be contained, but when it comes to Penn State’s passing, viral spreading is the goal.
DEFENDING THEIR TURF
Saturday’s win marked the 10th straight home win for the Nittany Lions. This stretch of success dates back to March 10, when Penn State beat Maryland.
This year, Penn State is 9-2 overall, its best start in five years, and 7-0 at home. It has gone over 100 points three times, and almost cracked the century mark again on Saturday but fell one point shy.
Ace Baldwin Jr. Sets Single Game Assist Record, Penn State Routs Coppin State
The team is averaging 96 points per game at the Bryce Jordan Center while only allowing 65. This unblemished home record had an early season test against Purdue but passed with flying colors.
Once word gets around of how good this Penn State squad is, home-court advantage will take on a whole new meaning. Just like it did on Dec. 5:
FINAL:
PSU: 81
Purdue: 70Penn State upsets the No. 8 team in the country to start Big Ten Play. pic.twitter.com/LnUJfgzEM9
— Brennan Valladares (@Valladares7B) December 6, 2024
