Atlantic 10 Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
9. Ace Baldwin
Point guard play is very important and Baldwin has certainly been a vital piece of the operation at VCU for the last three seasons. A 6’0 guard originally from Baltimore, Baldwin joined Mike Rhoades’ program right after the pandemic and has been leading the point ever since his arrival on campus in 2020, and will continue to be a leader for Rhoades next season at Penn State.
Baldwin wasn’t leaned on much to score as a freshman but has always had decent assist and steals numbers for the Rams. As a sophomore, he averaged 11.4 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals, developing into an all-around weapon at VCU. The Rams won a ton of games during his three years on campus, and he helped lead them back to the NCAA Tournament again as a junior, including a 37-point explosion in a road win over Saint Louis earlier in the season.
Among the national leaders in assists during his time with the Rams, Baldwin’s junior season saw him rack in the awards, winning both A-10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Clearly a star on both sides of the ball, he’s racked up steals and was vital in VCU’s return to the Big Dance, helping guide the program to a 68-25 mark while on campus. As mentioned, Baldwin has transferred, following Rhoades who was hired at Penn State this offseason, but he brought plenty of good in his three seasons in Richmond.