Pat Baldwin Jr

[The Purple Knight]

I might be crazy, but I can’t see PBJ playing in the Horizon leauge for Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He belongs in the BigTen, SEC of ACC. UWM is not a very good team and the level of competition in sub standard for one of the top recruits in the country. Playing against Detroit, Robert Morris, Oakland, Youngstown and IUPUI just doesn’t cut it. It would be a terrible disservice to that young man for his father to make him feel obligated to play at UWM. If his father put the kids best interest first he’d go to Duke, Caroline (or Northwestern). The kid needs to compete against the best for a year or two before going to the league. Just sayin.

 

[MrScoops]

I generally don't think the NBA cares. They scout talent, and talent is wherever talent chooses to play. I doubt wherever he goes to school materially impacts his draft stock. All these schools like Kentucky, Duke, etc. brag about how many players they send to the NBA, but it's not because they prepare them for the NBA particularly better than anyone else. When you land entire squads of 5* and high 4* players every year, you're going to send players to the NBA, and it's going to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are also guys who come over every year with high draft numbers overseas where the competition in many countries is no doubt probably as bad as or worse than Horizon league.

 

[NUera]

I generally don't think the NBA cares.

Correct. Ja Morant went to Murray State. He got drafted second and ended up being last season’s NBA ROY. Getting to the NCAAs is usually critical for mid-major prospects, but PBJ doesn’t need it to land on anyone’s radar — he’s been on them for years.

 

[The Purple Knight]

Yes every now and then a Jerry Rice, Walter Payton or Ja Moriant comes along, but they’re few and far between and the exception not the rule. Generally speaking, to become the best you have to compete against the best. IMO the kid would get a lot more out of competing against the likes of Michigan, Wisc, Iowa, Mich St. or Duke, Carolina, UVA on a daily basis, than scoring 30 every night against Robert Morris and Youngstown State.

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

Yes every now and then a Jerry Rice, Walter Payton or Ja Moriant comes along, but they’re few and far between and the exception not the rule. Generally speaking, to become the best you have to compete against the best. IMO the kid would get a lot more out of competing against the likes of Michigan, Wisc, Iowa, Mich St. or Duke, Carolina, UVA on a daily basis, than scoring 30 every night against Robert Morris and Youngstown State.

Ja Morant, Ben Simmons, Cam Payne, CJ Mccollum. I put Ben Simmons in there because he didn’t even make the NCAA tournament. Basketball it really doesn’t matter you find talent you go get talent. Competition isn’t really thought of too much.

 

[blockm2]

Yes every now and then a Jerry Rice, Walter Payton or Ja Moriant comes along, but they’re few and far between and the exception not the rule. Generally speaking, to become the best you have to compete against the best. IMO the kid would get a lot more out of competing against the likes of Michigan, Wisc, Iowa, Mich St. or Duke, Carolina, UVA on a daily basis, than scoring 30 every night against Robert Morris and Youngstown State.

from the 2020 draft...

#2 Memphis
#3 Australia
#7 France
#8 Dayton
#9 Israel

The NBA doesn't really care where you go, they will find the talent.

 

[7th Cir. Cat]

Yes every now and then a Jerry Rice, Walter Payton or Ja Moriant comes along, but they’re few and far between and the exception not the rule. Generally speaking, to become the best you have to compete against the best. IMO the kid would get a lot more out of competing against the likes of Michigan, Wisc, Iowa, Mich St. or Duke, Carolina, UVA on a daily basis, than scoring 30 every night against Robert Morris and Youngstown State.

But there's an important variable that you're not mentioning, PBJ would be playing for his father. PBJ is coming off a pretty significant injury. Who better to safeguard PBJ's health while balancing the need to win the game than his dad?

 

[mickbula]

Is there a time deadline that he has to decide by?? How long will his status be in limbo?

 

[GatoLouco]

How much does he value on laying against better competition? Helps development. For every Morant I’m sure there’s dozens that don’t develop to their full potential.

How much does he want to be the focus of the other team’s defense? If he doesn’t, NU or UWM is not for him.

 

[timbfischer]

LeBron James's not making it to Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, or Arizona did not seem to hurt him.

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

How much does he value on laying against better competition? Helps development. For every Morant I’m sure there’s dozens that don’t develop to their full potential.

How much does he want to be the focus of the other team’s defense? If he doesn’t, NU or UWM is not for him.

One year in college doesn’t make or break a guys NBA career. Back in the 80’s you had a point that playing for a good coach can help your game a lot back when they stayed for 3-4 years. Now they leave the program and focus on the draft as soon as the seasons over.

 

[Sec.112]

The longer his decision is delayed, the better I think it is for everybdy outside Duke and UNC - especially considering their down seasons.

If he's still truly balancing his choices, I can't imagine Virginia and stupid Michigan aren't higher on his list than they were in September.

 

[BarefootCat]

Perhaps the only reason that PBJ has not committed to Northwestern is because Chris Collins is the coach. Moving on from Chris Collins may actually increase our chances of landing PBJ.

 

[NUera]

The NBA doesn't really care where you go, they will find the talent.

Precisely. And what the “you need to go to a major to be scouted” crowd keeps forgetting is that PBJ isn’t a sleeper who needs exposure. He could go play in the Patriot League or at an HBCU and the scouts would line up every game.

 

[willycat]

Perhaps the only reason that PBJ has not committed to Northwestern is because Chris Collins is the coach. Moving on from Chris Collins may actually increase our chances of landing PBJ.

Doubt very much that his decision will because of who's the HC. At least at NU, although maybe at U. of W. Milwaukee, it would mean something.

 

[FeralFelidae]

He'll also get to play with Jordan Lathon.

 

[GatoLouco]

Doubt very much that his decision will because of who's the HC. At least at NU, although maybe at U. of W. Milwaukee, it would mean something.

So kids commit to Colleges and not coaches? Is that why so few transfer after coaches leave or are axed? /s

 

[ThatkidfromHolland]

Doubt very much that his decision will because of who's the HC. At least at NU, although maybe at U. of W. Milwaukee, it would mean something.

Perhaps the only reason that PBJ has not committed to Northwestern is because Chris Collins is the coach. Moving on from Chris Collins may actually increase our chances of landing PBJ.

No Collins has proved he’s a good recruiter so I don’t PBJ is not choosing NU because of that. There’s a whole other list of reasons not to pick NU.

No. Kids commit to coaches as much if not more than the actual school. Right or wrong that’s a fact.

 

[NUCatswin]

A Duke insider on 247 just flipped a CB for PBJ to Milwaukee

 

[willycat]

No Collins has proved he’s a good recruiter so I don’t PBJ is not choosing NU because of that. There’s a whole other list of reasons not to pick NU.

No. Kids commit to coaches as much if not more than the actual school. Right or wrong that’s a fact.

Yet there are more reasons not to pick U. of W. - Milwaukee. #1 Horizon, which appears to be worse than MVC. #2 Programs = N,Dak. St., Southern Miss., Robert Morris, Detroit Mercy, Purdue Ft. Wayne, Wright State and many others. #3, 7-10 record. #4, playing in Milwaukee. #5, playing for your dad.

 

[Catreporter]

Might save his dad's job if he plays there so there's that....

 

[willycat]

Might save his dad's job if he plays there so there's that....

It will be either NU or Duke or maybe directly to the NBA.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Perhaps the only reason that PBJ has not committed to Northwestern is because Chris Collins is the coach. Moving on from Chris Collins may actually increase our chances of landing PBJ.

Nonsense.

 

[freewillie07]

A Duke insider on 247 just flipped a CB for PBJ to Milwaukee

Two flips now, both from Duke guys.

Interesting... if you read that as a sign that they somehow know it’s NOT Duke, then Milwaukee is the logical next choice but not the only one.

Would playing point guard be appealing to him?

 

[cedricmelons]

Think it probably has more to do with his buddy and fellow Wisconsinite, Jalen Johnson, having issues with the program and deciding to opt out for the last 6 games of a shitty season in Durham.

https://www.dukechronicle.com/artic...-basketball-patrick-baldwin-nba-draft-coach-k

 

[freewillie07]

Think it probably has more to do with his buddy and fellow Wisconsinite, Jalen Johnson, having issues with the program and deciding to opt out for the last 6 games of a shitty season in Durham.

https://www.dukechronicle.com/artic...-basketball-patrick-baldwin-nba-draft-coach-k

Thanks for the link. Makes a ton of sense.

 

[Katatonic]

For what it's worth, here's an old (Feb) SI article saying that PBJ is 75% sure of where he is going.

Top SI99 Wing Patrick Baldwin Jr. ’75 Percent Sure’ on College Destination

Baldwin will decide between Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and his father's UW-Milwaukee team.

www.si.com

“I think I know where I would like to go,” Baldwin said. “So, I’m just kinda just sitting on it right now.”

Still, don’t expect any big announcements to come this week or next, Baldwin said he wants to take his time to get to get to 100 percent certainty.

“I think in a few weeks or a few months I’ll be able to say 100 percent,” Baldwin said. “I’ll take as much time as I would like to.”

Think with the ongoing pandemic, staying close to family (before moving on to the fast-paced NBA life) is a major factor.

I'd say playing for pops, with an outside chance of coming back to Evanston (the latter would have been a stronger option if the program had shown any signs of life the past couple of years).

 

[willycat]

Two flips now, both from Duke guys.

Interesting... if you read that as a sign that they somehow know it’s NOT Duke, then Milwaukee is the logical next choice but not the only one.

Would playing point guard be appealing to him?

Guess we will need to ask Turk. He's has said all along that PBJ would not go to Duke. Maybe NU could offer his dad the AD job!

 

[IdahoAlum]

There is no deadline for a decision really. The LOI deadline was pushed back to Aug. 1 this year, but a prospect like PBJ doesn’t need to sign an LOI. He can show up for the first day of class at any institution of higher learning he chooses and they’ll welcome him with open arms.

Also a lot of top prospects are choosing to go to the G League right out of high school and get paid while they wait to get drafted. You’d probably face better competition there over a longer season— and get paid — rather than playing one season of college ball.

Don’t know where PBJ will wind up, but he has plenty of choices and no immediate pressure to make a decision.

 

[FeralFelidae]

There is no deadline for a decision really. The LOI deadline was pushed back to Aug. 1 this year, but a prospect like PBJ doesn’t need to sign an LOI. He can show up for the first day of class at any institution of higher learning he chooses and they’ll welcome him with open arms.

Also a lot of top prospects are choosing to go to the G League right out of high school and get paid while they wait to get drafted. You’d probably face better competition there over a longer season— and get paid — rather than playing one season of college ball.

Don’t know where PBJ will wind up, but he has plenty of choices and no immediate pressure to make a decision.

So, should we wait around until Aug 1 or should we try to land the best player possible from the portal? How many schools are willing to wait until Aug 1 and risk missing out on the best players being plucked from the portal while they wait?

 

[IdahoAlum]

So, should we wait around until Aug 1 or should we try to land the best player possible from the portal? How many schools are willing to wait until Aug 1 and risk missing out on the best players being plucked from the portal while they wait?

Ask Collins — I’m sure he has a better feel for whether NU has any shot at PBJ. But if I were him, I’d go find the best transfer I can get, because I’m not expecting PBJ to show up at my door.

 

[NUThump]

Ask Collins — I’m sure he has a better feel for whether NU has any shot at PBJ. But if I were him, I’d go find the best transfer I can get, because I’m not expecting PBJ to show up at my door.

We signed 1 transfer very quickly. Collins waiting tells me we are still in the game.

 

[IdahoAlum]

We signed 1 transfer very quickly. Collins waiting tells me we are still in the game.

Or he hasn’t gotten a commitment.

 

[NUera]

We signed 1 transfer very quickly. Collins waiting tells me we are still in the game.

Or he hasn’t gotten a commitment.

Or CCC is saving the unexpected scholarship for the next full recruiting cycle instead of burning it on just anyone this late in the game.

But I guess it doesn’t hurt to dream, so I’ll try not to burst the pie-in-the-sky set’s PBJ bubble (and refrain from telling them the truth about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny).

 

[Kelly_32]

He will go play for his dad.

 

[The Purple Knight]

Baldwin following Dad to Milwaukee, done deal ! You heard it here first.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Baldwin following Dad to Milwaukee, done deal ! You heard it here first.

What a scoop!

 

[willycat]

Baldwin following Dad to Milwaukee, done deal ! You heard it here first.

Baldwin Sr, fired from Wis. Milwaukee. It's over.

 

[Secho99]

He will go play for his dad.

UWM's point guard just entered the transfer portal, he averaged 15/5/6 this past season. Don't know if that's an indication of anything.

Duke-connected people seem to think they're back to being the landing spot for PBJ if he doesn't go to Milwaukee.

 

[Cat Fan in Buckeye Land]

UWM's point guard just entered the transfer portal, he averaged 15/5/6 this past season. Don't know if that's an indication of anything.

Duke-connected people seem to think they're back to being the landing spot for PBJ if he doesn't go to Milwaukee.

I think Jordan Lathon becomes eligible to play for them next season after sitting this year out as a transfer.