The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday that Penn State graduate guard Ace Baldwin Jr. was named a top-10 finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.
Over the last 22 seasons, the Bob Cousy Award has been given to the top point guard in Division I basketball.
ACE BALDWIN JR. FOR POINT GUARD OF THE YEAR
Ace Baldwin Jr. scored a team-high 22 points in Penn State’s 80-72 win over Rutgers. (Penn State Athletics)
Baldwin Jr. has persisted as one of the best playmakers in all of Division I basketball, ranking fourth in total assists (164) and averaged assists (7.8). Along with those numbers, he is also good for 14.1 points and 2.0 steals (fourth in the Big Ten) a night while shooting 93.3% from the free-throw line (fifth in the nation).
This season, Baldwin Jr. has recorded a team-high five double-doubles (points and assists), including an 11-point, 16-assist performance against Coppin State which set both a career high and a program record. In that same game, the graduate guard also recorded his 700th career assist, making him one of only 136 players to reach that mark.
Baldwin Jr. is the only active player with career marks of 1,593 points, 782 assists (second among active players) and 313 steals (leads all active players). He is one of nine Division I players since 1947-48 to have career totals of 1,500-plus points, 700-plus assists and 300-plus steals.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Last season, Baldwin Jr. was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after he led the conference with 2.7 steals per game. He was also a member of the league’s All-Defensive Team and was a third-team All-Big Ten selection (coaches and media). Before transferring to Penn State, Baldwin Jr. spent three seasons at VCU, where he was named the Atlantic 10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year in his final season.
In March, the list of 10 names will be trimmed down to five, with the final five being presented to Cousy and the selection committee later in the month. The selection committee for the Bob Cousy Award is composed of top men’s and women’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The top 10 candidates are listed below:
Mark Sears – Alabama
Walter Clayton Jr. – Florida
Ryan Nembhard – Gonzaga
Keshon Gilbert – Iowa State
Kam Jones – Marquette
Ace Baldwin Jr. – Penn State
Braden Smith – Purdue
Dylan Harper – Rutgers
Zakai Ziegler – Tennessee
Javon Small – West Virginia
