In the 99 games of college basketball that Penn State guard Ace Baldwin Jr. has played in, 68 of them have featured Baldwin recording two or more steals. It’s a mark which has seen Baldwin rack up 237 takeaways, the fourth-most amongst active players. in 2023-24 Baldwin is (as of Jan 25th) ranked sixth in the nation in total steals, his 54 some 20 behind Arturo Dean of FIU but just six from the second-most in the nation.
As for his averages in 2023-24, a 2.84 steals per game clip is also sixth-best nationally this season while his career average of 2.39 steals per game is the third-best mark among active players. All of these numbers and rankings boil down to one thing – Ace Baldwin is very good at taking the basketball away from the other team. In fact if Baldwin averages just two steals per game in the 13 guaranteed remaining contests he would finish the season with 263 career steals, tied for 149th in the history of college basketball – two more steals than the likes of Tim Hardaway and John Stockton. Not bad company to keep.
“I think it’s just a feel for the game,” Baldwin said on Thursday. “I just want to be different. In today’s game, a lot of people don’t like playing defense, they just think it’s all about scoring. And I just want to (impact) the game in other ways. So I try to play hard on defense.”
Feel is a somewhat nonspecific term and origin story, but if you want to get down into the weeds with Baldwin you can start back in middle school. Take this steal for example, that’s a football play, by a former football player, happening not all that far from Beaver Stadium.
“I’ll be in practice doing it all the time, stealing the ball. They all call me a safety or a cornerback,” Baldwin says with a laugh. “I think football (helped) because I used to play all way up until my freshman year in high school. So I think that played a big part of it too.”
And yes, if you’re wondering, Baldwin played safety, reading the eyes of quarterbacks before a pass ever left his hand.
The art of the steal also involves picking your spots and understanding the moment. Nothing can swing momentum like a well-timed change of possession, a fast break opportunity and points for your team. Then again, nothing can kill a comeback like a badly timed foul, especially when a referee might call what they think they saw, not what actually happened.
“It’s a close game,” Baldwin says looking at the play above. ” I don’t think referees are gonna call it (Baldwin reach in to poke the ball away) and then a defender like me, I’m always aggressive. So in this moment, I think we needed a stop so I gotta take a risk on this one.”
Steals also involve a bit of misdirection. Make an offensive player think one thing is happening and then surprise them with something else. Another play from Penn State’s eventual loss to Northwestern was one of Baldwin’s eight steals on the night. This one brought you by the art of showing up when you’re not supposed to.
“That’s my favorite one,” Baldwin says with a laugh. “The guy that I’ve got, he runs up the court so (the ball handler) is not gonna think I’m coming. So I just want to like act like I’m running with my guy, and then when (Kanye Clary) is just messing with him I just run in, and (the ball handler) won’t see me.”
And he didn’t.
Then there is stealing the steal itself. Anyone who has ever been good at anything has taken bits and pieces from the greats. In this case Baldwin is taking a page from New Orleans Pelican guard Jose Alvarado, who has perfected the art of idling in the deepest corners of the court to catch opponents in transition. Baldwin, not above using someone else’s proven method, showcased the value of being inspired by others.
“I noticed how teams like getting off (and up the court) quick and fast. I’ve watched Jose for the Pelicans,” Baldwin said. “I watched him and I’ve seen it work. This was my first time trying to do it actually.”
Nothing better than trying something new and having it go well.
And then there’s the brute-force steal, sometimes fueled by the frustrations of recent mistakes and a cousin of the poorly timed foul. This one is riskiest of all, as Baldwin notes the art of the steal is not so much the doing of the thing itself as it is the picking of your spots. Then again, with only 20 seconds left in regulation you have to make your own luck, and hope it turns out well.
“I didn’t want him to get another shot with how close the game was,” Baldwin said. “I also missed the free throw so I just kind of mad at myself right there. And I just I just want to get the ball back. I’m trying to affect the game on defense and trying to disrupt the guy that I’m guarding, if it’s the leading scorer I just try to keep him down below his average or make him take a lot of tough shots.”
“I think it’s exciting because because people don’t do it against the best players. A defender will be scared to try to challenge the best player or just let the best player do whatever he wants to me. I’m the total opposite, I try to make the best player uncomfortable. I try to be aggressive, I try to touch him, all the little things that maybe get into his head. I was always a defensive type guy, I was always passed first point guard, a old school point guard. They said to get to the next level, you’ve got to play defense, that’s what I was always taught.”
Of course the final art of the steal is the other side of the coin – don’t turn it over yourself. The good news for Baldwin, he’s 26th in the nation in assist to turnover ratio for his career among active players. The player ahead of him? Boo Buie, Northwestern guard and half brother of Penn State great Talor Battle. But that’s a story for another time.
