RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Atlantic 10 Conference has released its season awards for men’s basketball, and Virginia Commonwealth University point guard Adrian “Ace” Baldwin, Jr. earned several accolades.
Baldwin was named A-10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named to All-Defensive Team and First Team All-Conference. Baldwin is just the fourth player in the conference’s history to be named both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
Baldwin led the Rams in points and assists per game during the regular season, with 12.6 and 5.8 respectively. Only 14 players in Division I averaged more assists per game than Baldwin and the only A-10 player to do so was Saint Louis guard Yuri Collins, the nation’s assist leader.
Baldwin also ranks seventh in Division I in steals per game with 2.46 and is a leader on an exasperating Rams defense, which ranks fifth nationally in turnover percentage and 22nd in defensive efficiency.
VCU guard Ace Baldwin (1) puts up two points during a NCAA basketball game between Richmond Spiders and VCU Rams on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023 at Siegel Center in Richmond, Va. (Shaban Athuman/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) 
VCU guard Ace Baldwin (1) goes up for two as Saint Louis forward Terrence Hargrove Jr. (22) defends during a NCAA basketball game between VCU Rams and St. Louis Billikens on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 at Siegel Center in Richmond, Va. (Shaban Athuman/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) 
VCU guard Ace Baldwin (1) celebrates his three points during a NCAA basketball game between Richmond Spiders and VCU Rams on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023 at Siegel Center in Richmond, Va. (Shaban Athuman/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) 
Virginia Commonwealth guard Ace Baldwin (1) shoots over Saint Louis guard Larry Hughes Jr. (2) during an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Richmond, Va. (Shaban Athuman/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) 
Virginia Commonwealth guard Ace Baldwin (1) reloads after hitting a 3-pointer against Richmond during an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, in Richmond, Va. (Shaban Athuman/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) 
VCU guard Ace Baldwin (1) celebrates with forward Jamir Watkins (0) after beating St. Louis Billikens on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 at Siegel Center in Richmond, Va. (Shaban Athuman/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
The last Ram to win A-10 Player of the Year was guard Na’Shon “Bones” Hyland in 2021, who would go on to become the Rams’ third-highest NBA Draft selection and is currently averaging 11.6 points per game as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Rams earned the A-10’s best regular season record in the 2022-2023 season and are the No. 1 seed in the 2023 conference tournament, which begins today and goes until March 12 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
