Will Patrick Baldwin, Jr. Be A Tar Heel?
As it stands, Dontrez Styles is the only UNC basketball commit for the 2021 class. Who might join him?
One possibility is Sussex, Wisconsin’s Patrick Baldwin, Jr.
Baldwin is a 6-foot-9, 200-pound power forward who ranks in the top three of every major recruiting site. He is a five-star from Hamilton High School who, according to his parents, is actually 6-foot-10, but prefers to go with “nine” so that he isn’t labeled as a center.
Baldwin holds a litany of scholarship offers from all the top names in college basketball. He did, however, narrow down to a list of 10 schools back in early May. That list includes Duke, Georgetown, Kentucky, Michigan, Milwaukee, North Carolina, Northwestern, UCLA, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Of those who have already made predictions for Baldwin’s eventual landing place, the majority went with Duke.
Northwestern must be considered a potential landing spot as it is close to home and the his parents’ alma mater. Baldwin’s father Pat played basketball, while his mother, Shawn, played volleyball. Additionally, and maybe more importantly, Patrick, Jr. was a Northwestern ballboy.
However, Milwaukee, seemingly the interloper of the group of 10 schools, shouldn’t be counted out either. Why? Pat, Sr. is the head basketball coach.
What about Carolina’s connection to the younger Baldwin? Well to understand that, we need to first understand Carolina’s connection to his father. Pat Baldwin grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas, less than an hour away from Lawrence, and was certainly on Roy Williams’ radar before Baldwin ultimately chose Northwestern. So there is already a connection between Coach Williams and the Baldwin family.
As an aside, it must be surreal to look at a player and then three decades later recruit his son.
Coach Williams offered Patrick a scholarship last July, the second offer he made for the class of 2021. Clearly, Coach believes in this young man.
Additionally, the Heels have a recent track record with tall wings (Justin Jackson, Cameron Johnson).
Here is 247 Sports’ most recent evaluation of Baldwin:
“Has great length and an excellent frame to add weight. At 6-foot-8, can play either forward spot and he has the ability to be a weapon from beyond the arc. There aren’t many prospects who have the combination of skill, basketball IQ, size, and athleticism. Has gotten significantly better off the dribble, and it is easy to see why he is one of the premier prospects in the class of 2021. From an NBA perspective he has not only significant 3 and D potential as a forward, but his athleticism is getting better - which could mean future star status if everything continues to come together. Add in that he is a son of a coach who has been around the game his whole life, and Baldwin checks nearly every box you could want out of a prospect. Looks like he will develop into an NBA lottery pick.”
The evaluation compares Baldwin to Klay Thompson and projects him as an eventual first round pick.
Will Patrick Baldwin, Jr. choose Duke, as many speculate? Will he stay home and play at Milwaukee or Northwestern? Can Carolina pull him away from a Duke lean?
Stay with AllTarHeels here on Sports Illustrated to learn more as Baldwin’s recruitment unfolds over the course of the next year.
