Bummer.
5-star Class of 2021 SF Patrick Baldwin Jr. announced this morning that he is committing to play for his father at UW-Milwaukee. Baldwin Jr. is an incredibly talented forward, ranked fourth nationally in the 247 Sports composite, who would make an immediate impact on any program. His commitment would surely have given another jolt of optimism for Georgetown’s fanbase and continued Ewing and co’s strong stretch on the recruiting trail. Alas, it was not to be.
Although Baldwin Jr. didn’t commit to Georgetown, the Hoyas did still make his final three, with an unofficial cutlist that consisted of the Hoyas, Duke, and his father’s program at UW-Milwaukee. No matter how you slice it, being named to a player’s final three next to his own father and Duke is a remarkable testament to the work the coaching staff put into recruiting him. Of course, it would have been nice to close the deal. But like I said, being listed next to Coach K and the guy’s own father as finalists (for a top-5 ranked recruit, no less) is a positive sign regarding Georgetown’s ability to recruit high-caliber talent
Without Patrick Baldwin Jr., Georgetown still has a stacked recruiting class coming in for next year. The Hoyas boast the 14th ranked recruiting class in the country, with 5-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American Aminu Mohammed headlining the class. The rest of the class aren’t slouches either. Jordan Riley was recently named Mr. New York Basketball, Ryan Mutombo has maintained a 4-star rating, and Tyler Beard and Jalin Billingsley should play meaningful minutes soon after arriving on the Hilltop. That’s not to mention the transfers the Hoyas have added, with Tre King and Kaiden Rice both primed to fill critical holes on next year’s roster from day one.
Missing out on the fourth-ranked player in the country in Baldwin Jr. stings, but it’s not devastating to the program’s hopes of being a competitive basketball team next year. Next up is (hopefully) Kenner League, where we’ll be able to watch the newest batch of Hoyas in action.. Hoya Saxa!
