Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski called Patrick Baldwin Jr. the "perfect recruit."
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A sniper the size of a power forward with the skills of a point guard. A glass cleaner. A high-functioning basketball mind.
Notably, Baldwin is the son of athletic parents who enjoyed great careers at Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois. His mom, Shawn, was a 6-foot-2 standout for the Wildcats' volleyball team. His dad, Patrick Baldwin Sr., excelled on NU's basketball team in the mid-90s.
Pat Baldwin went into coaching after his Big Ten playing days, making assistant coaching stops around midwest schools and serving on the Northwestern staff before landing the head job at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Pat Jr. tagged along and lived the game.
Joining a group of elite basketball players to emerge from Wisconsin, Baldwin is ready to burst onto the national scene.
Patrick Baldwin Jr.'s Highlights
Baldwin's game is as fluid as they come. He has a gorgeous jump shot with a high release point and deadly accuracy. He can shoot from anywhere in any situation: NBA range, floaters, off the dribble, spot-up; the five-star recruit has a deep arsenal.
He uses athleticism and long strides to lead fast breaks. This is when he prefers to drive to the rim and finish with dunks. He does a good job of establishing position in the post against smaller defenders, though he's much more comfortable on the perimeter.
Baldwin has the potential to be a defensive stalwart. His gangly length infiltrates passing lanes and influences shot attempts. Plus, he has the quickness to stay with anyone.
Listed at 6-foot-9, Baldwin suffers from Kevin Durant syndrome. He's taller than his program height but likes being printed under 6-foot-10 so he's not labeled as a power forward or center.
Baldwin missed a good chunk of his senior season after suffering a bad ankle injury in December 2020.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. Basketball Recruiting
RELATED: America's No. 1 HS Basketball Recruit Commits to College Powerhouse
The Sussex, Wisconsin native is the No. 4 player in the 2021 college basketball recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He had scholarship offers from Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Michigan, North Carolina, Northwestern, UCLA, Virginia, and his dad's UW-Milwaukee. 247Sports' Crystal Ball predicted the Sussex-Hamilton High School product would join the Blue Devils before he narrowed down his finalists to Milwaukee and Northwestern.
Baldwin is a highly-touted pro prospect and forecasts to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He draws comparisons to Klay Thompson for his sharpshooting abilities.
At the end of the day, Baldwin has a bright future. I hereby propose he starts going by PBJ.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. Commits to UW-Milwaukee
.@_pbaldwin23, the No. 4 overall recruit in ESPN's 2021 rankings, has committed to Milwaukee, per @PaulBiancardi.
(🎨: @TiptonEdits) | @MKE_MBB pic.twitter.com/SfKhYQCPP3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 12, 2021
UPDATE (May 12, 2021): Baldwin announced on ESPN's SportsCenter that he'll be playing college basketball for his father, head coach Pat Baldwin, and the Milwaukee Panthers next year.
The small forward could've solidified Duke as the top recruiting class in the country had he chose to play in Durham. He would've been the Blue Devils fourth five-star recruit along with Paolo Banchero, AJ Griffin, and Trevor Keels.
Baldwin will take the Horizon League by storm and look to lead the Panthers to their first NCAA Tournament since 2014.
