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Baldwin makes Oscar Robertson watch list

INDIANAPOLIS – Penn State men’s basketball graduate student Ace Baldwin Jr. has been selected as one of 50 Division I men’s basketball players on the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List, as announced by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Monday afternoon.

Members of the USBWA’s board of directors chose the players that will be considered as contenders for the National Player of the Year. Baldwin Jr. was also named a top-10 finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award earlier today.

Baldwin Jr. has shined this season, averaging team-best marks of 14.1 points and 7.8 assists per game to go along with 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest. His 7.8 assists per game ranks fourth in all of Division I, while his 93.3% free throw percentage ranks fifth nationally.

The Baltimore, Md. Native has notched five points-assists double-doubles this season and has tallied double-digit assists in more games (6) than he did all of last season (4), including a single-game school record 16 helpers on Dec. 14 vs. Coppin State.

Baldwin Jr. owns career marks of 1,593 points, 782 assists and 313 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.

He is the NCAA’s active Division I leader in career steals with 313 and is poised to break into the top 30 of the NCAA’s all-time steals leaders this season. His 782 assists are second amongst active Division I players.

Baldwin Jr. is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He earned the following honors a season ago: Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist, Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Finalist, NABC Second Team All-District 7 selection, third-team All-Big Ten (coaches & media) pick and Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors. The point guard transferred to Penn State ahead of the 2023-24 season following three standout years at VCU in which he was a two-time All-Conference pick and the 2023 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

The Oscar Robertson Trophy winner is to be announced at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, from April 5-7. The formal presentation of the trophy will follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. A final watch list will be released in early March and those chosen will be included on the USBWA’s annual awards ballot.

2025 Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List

Jaden Akins, Michigan State

Ace Bailey, Rutgers

Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State

Nate Bittle, Oregon

Johni Broome, Auburn

Lamont Butler, Kentucky

Walter Clayton Jr., Florida

Donovan Dent, New Mexico

Hunter Dickinson, Kansas

Eric Dixon, Villanova

Cooper Flagg, Duke

Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State

Ja’Kobe Gillespie, Maryland

PJ Haggerty, Memphis

Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Chucky Hepburn, Louisville

Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State

Chase Hunter, Clemson

Graham Ike, Gonzaga

Ian Jackson, North Carolina

Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois

Curtis Jones, Iowa State

Kam Jones, Marquette

Alex Karaban, UConn

Trey Kauffman-Renn, Purdue

Kon Knueppel, Duke

Chaz Lanier, Tennessee

Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB

Caleb Love, Arizona

RJ Luis, St. John’s

Nick Martinelli, Northwestern

Jamal Mashburn Jr., Temple

Trent McLaughlin, Northern Arizona

Jacksen Moni, North Dakota State

Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina

Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga

Asa Newell, Georgia

Norchad Omier, Baylor

Otega Oweh, Kentucky

Zhuric Phelps, Texas A&M

Maxime Raynaud, Stanford

Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest

Mark Sears, Alabama

Emanuel Sharp, Houston

Javon Small, West Virginia

Braden Smith, Purdue

John Tonje, Wisconsin

Darrion Williams, Texas Tech

Danny Wolf, Michigan

Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

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