Mike Rhoades says he’s had conversations with Penn State basketball stars Ace Baldwin and Puff Johnson regarding their futures with the program, but that’s about all he was willing to say. Rhoades declined to comment further on the status of Baldwin or Johnson when speaking to the media for the first time since the Nittany Lions’ season ended last week. Both senior standouts would have a year of eligibility remaining if they chose to stay in Happy Valley or decided to enter the transfer portal.
Penn State basketball having “ongoing” discussions with roster during transfer portal window
Penn State basketball quickly lost three scholarship players to the transfer portal this week after the window opened on Monday. A roster built with portal talent a year ago, Mike Rhoades is trying to avoid that same fate this offseason.
While more transfer portal attrition is likely inevitable, Penn State is trying to avoid the loss of program leaders Ace Baldwin and Puff Johnson. While the Nittany Lions were seniors this season, both have the option to return for an additional year.
Further, the question remains whether Puff Johnson and Ace Baldwin will choose to play a final year of basketball at Penn State or somewhere else. Mike Rhoades declined to go into the details of discussions he’s had with Baldwin and Johnson since the season ended in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament last week. However, he noted that the dialogue between the coaching staff and players is always ongoing.
“It’s Penn State policy when it comes to this stuff and the portal stuff and all that — I’m not gonna get into specifics,” Rhoades stated. “But yes, [we’re] having conversations with everybody in the program; [discussions with] all the players in the program is always ongoing. That’s not going to stop. That’s the most important thing is the relationships we have in our program with our players and our staff, etc.
“Everything, it’s always ongoing, without a doubt. So, as you saw on Monday, the portal opened, and the floodgates opened. As a coach and a coaching staff, you have to deal with all that. But having ongoing communication with our players is a must at all times.”
Baldwin and Johnson proved valuable for Nittany Lions down the stretch
Ace Baldwin became the undisputed leader of the Nittany Lions’ backcourt following the dismissal of Kanye Clary in February. The Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year, Baldwin totaled 88 steals while averaging 14.2 points and 2.7 rebounds this season.
Puff Johnson turned in a solid season after returning to the Keystone State from North Carolina, averaging 7.3 points and 3.1 rebounds this year. Johnson started 12 games for Penn State basketball thisn season, and scored at least 13 points in three of the Nittany Lions’ final four games.
The transfer portal window for college basketball closes on May 1.
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