Penn State men's hoops announces additions of two VCU transfers

Penn State men's basketball head coach Mike Rhoades announced the additions of Adrian "Ace" Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern Jr. to the program, according to a Tuesday release from Penn State.

The pair of VCU transfers played in a combined 65 games for the Rams last season in Baldwin's third and Kern's second recorded years with the program. VCU ended the 2022-23 season with a 27-8 overall record and a 15-3 record against conference opponents.

Baldwin, a former three-star recruit out of Baltimore, Maryland, scored 12.7 points per game while shooting 42.1% from the field. He scored 13 points and grabbed two steals during VCU's 63-51 loss to Saint Mary's in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

"We are excited to have Ace in our basketball family," said Rhoades, the former head coach of VCU, via Penn State. "He is a proven successful college basketball player, point guard and leader. 

"We can't wait to get him on campus and get to work."

Kern Jr., a 6-foot-6-inch guard from St. Louis, Missouri, averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game for the Rams. He scored 17 points during an 80-61 win over Fordham in February, hitting eight of his nine shots and one of his two free throws.

"We're really happy to have Nick join us in Happy Valley," Rhoades said, via Penn State. "He brings so many things to our program both on and off the court and is another great fit for our basketball family here at Penn State."

Landing the pair of transfers and the return of guards Kanye Clary and Jameel Brown may prove to be an excellent sign for a program with a first-year head coach in Rhoades.

Having two players who are familiar with Rhoades's system will help transition from head coach Micah Shrewsberry. Baldwin's scoring ability will be a welcomed addition to a Penn State group that scored 72.2 points per game last season, good enough for seventh in the Big Ten.