Penn State Basketball: Top transfer portal targets

Now that Penn State basketball has their head coach in Mike Rhoades, it’s time to start replenishing a roster that has been racked with graduation and transfers following the departure of Micah Shrewsberry.

Every four to five years, VCU adopts the role of the Oakland A’s in “Moneyball”, in that they become organ donors to bigger schools. This year, Penn State basketball got to play the role of the New York Yankees, as they have not only taken their head coach and numerous assistants, the Nittany Lions are at the top of the transfer list for four of the top VCU players entering the portal, among other players.

Guard Ace Baldwin

The prized jewel out of this haul is undoubtedly 6’0″ junior Ace Baldwin. 247sports.com is reporting his transfer to Penn State has “100 %”. Baldwin, a 2x all-A10 player and 2022-23 Player of the Year, is a solid scoring guard with a better than 2-1 assist/turnover ratio.

A former 4-star out of Baltimore, Maryland, Baldwin holds the VCU record for most points in a game (37) and career assist percentage (31.4%). This past season was his most successful to date, as he became only the fourth player in A10 history to be named the A10’s most valuable player and also the best defensive player.

Widely coveted by many programs, such as Florida, Gonzaga, and St. Johns, this is a move that will have an immediate and profound impact on the program. It would appear, however, that Penn State basketball may be getting dealt their first “Ace”.

UPDATE: Baldwin signed with the Nittany Lions 4/9 and is Rhoades’s first major signing.