Penn State Basketball: It's the Summer of Ace Baldwin Jr.

The Nittany Lions' point guard is thriving after announcing his return, coach Mike Rhoades says.

Penn State Nittany Lions guard Ace Baldwin Jr. dribbles around Indiana Hoosiers guard Xavier Johnson during the second half at Target Center. / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State men's basketball is in week 5 of its eight-week offseason program, and head coach Mike Rhoades senses something brewing. With five returning players, led by point guard Ace Baldwin Jr., Rhoades begins his second season at Penn State with a stronger base and less frantic needs for team building.

Rhoades spoke with reporters in State College on Thursday to update the program's summer progress. Here's a look at the Nittany Lions' offseason.

Ace Baldwin Jr. takes charge

The point guard and reigning Big Ten defensive player of the year told reporters that he "always" planned to return to Penn State even though he dragged out the announcement. Still, Baldwin's decision both soothed and energized Rhoades, who gets another season with one of his favorite players. Rhoades is even more impressed with Baldwin this offseason.

"This is the best Ace Baldwin I've ever seen, on and off the court," Rhoades said. "I'm super proud of him. He's been in the gym more than any player on our team this offseason. He's done a great job leading by example on the court but also helping with the young guys. ... I've never worried about him competing and getting after it in the gym, but I just think his maturity and the way he's interacted with his teammates and his approach has really, really been good. It's been awesome."

The players are "meshing"

Rhoades spent his first three months on the job in 2023 combing the portal, rushing through signings and gathering a whole new team in the gym before taking a road trip to the Bahamas. This offseason has been a bit calmer. Penn State has nine new players, acquired via the transfer portal and recruiting, but also returns five key players. Alongside sixth-year seniors Baldwin and Puff Johnson are Nick Kern Jr., D'Marco Dunn and Zach Hicks. Rhoades called their presence "huge."

"It's maybe the best advantage we have right now, five [returning] guys going through the summer," Rhoades said. "Of course with Nick and Ace being around me for a number of years that helps, but another year under their belt has helped our new guys coming in. The comfort that the five guys have being here at Penn State, being an athlete here at Penn State and also being able to help the new guys and what they're in for on the court, in the weight room, in the locker room, off the court. It's been a good start to the summer because of those five guys."

Purpose in the portal

Rhoades brought in four transfers, including Kachi Nzeh, a sophomore from Xavier who was a highly recruited portal player. The coach's vision was to fill some lineup gaps, notably in size and shooting. Rhoades also had another priority.

"Well, I wanted high-character kids," Rhoades said. "We absolutely got that that [from the] transfers. We have raised the character and the standard of our program already. With three of the four guys, I had prior relationships with them, recruiting them in the past, so I knew them and their families and their circle and that was really important to me — that I knew the guys we're getting not just as basketball players but as young men. That was very important to me. I just felt with those four guys, we wanted to get better offensive players, improve our offense [with] more shooting, more handling and size and length."

What's next for the Nittany Lions?

Penn State has three weeks left in its offseason program, and Rhoades wants them to be just as productive as the previous five.

"We have a group of guys here that have been living in the gym this summer," Rhoades said. "I'm really, really proud of that. I like our approach. I like how well these guys have meshed with [nine] new faces, and I think the older guys have done a really good job of bringing the young guys along. You can understand what we're trying to do around here. So I think it's been a productive summer. I think there's been a lot of work. I think there's a lot of guys that have already improved their bodies, and their skill level is getting better. We've got a couple more weeks here, but let us get a little bit better every week, and I think we've been doing it."

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.