NEW YORK — Wade Baldwin missed the Rumble in the Bronx on Saturday because he was taking the ACT.
But Baldwin is hardly in any kind of academic difficulty.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound rising senior shooting guard from St. Joe’s-Metuchen said he maintains a 3.6 GPA and lists six academic heavyweights among his leaders.
“I’m probably going to be visiting the six after me the hardest probably is Stanford, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Minnesota and Vanderbilt, too,” Baldwin told SNY.tv after scoring 10 points as Sports U beat the Playaz Basketball Club, 66-53, in the Rumble in the Bronx semifinals at Basketball City. Sports U ultimately lost in the championship game to Deron Williams Elite 76-63.
“I’m going to try to get out to all of those and see what happens in July,” Baldwin added. “Hopefully, I pick up some more schools and go from there.”
Baldwin said he would try and get to a football game at “either Penn State or Minnesota” in late August.
Minnesota hosts UNLV Aug. 29 and Penn State’s first home game is Sept. 7 against Eastern Michigan.
He plans to take most of his official visits in late summer/early fall.
“A lot of them want me to go in August when their summer session in and all that stuff,” Baldwin said.
As mentioned in this recent story, Minnesota has been making tremendous inroads with Northeastern players like Baldwin, Isaiah Whitehead, who had 17 points for the Playaz in the loss, and Philly point guard Ja’Quan Newton.
“The coach at Seton Hall [Dan McHale] was recruiting me real hard at Seton Hall,” Baldwin said. “He went over and the first day he was the coach, he offered me a scholarship at Minnesota with [Coach Richard Pitino, so he kept in good touch.”
Northwestern had once been considered a frontrunner for Baldwin, but that was before head coach Bill Carmody was fired and replaced by Chris Collins.
“It’s a whole new coaching staff and I haven’t even heard from the new guys,” he said.
At the high school level, Baldwin plays alongside Kentucky pledge Karl Towns and 2014 wing Marques Townes, who also had 10 points against the Playaz and holds offers from Fairfield, Boston University and Robert Morris, among others, according to his father.
In March, St. Joe’s lost to Syracuse-bound Tyler Roberson and Roselle (N.J.) Catholic in the New Jersey Tournament of Champions final.
This year the team adds 2014 point guard Raven Owen of Brooklyn, who will take over starting floor general duties.
“He’s been lighting up the AAU circuit,” Baldwin said of Owen.
So this year St. Joe’s could challenge for another shot at the TOC.
“We got a dominant squad, the best guys in the state, everybody coming back,” Baldwin said.
“We’re going to be full-throttle next year, trying to not lose in the state and play a national schedule.”
