By JACOB POLACHECK & ADAM ZAGORIA
Patrick Baldwin Jr. is joining his father.
The 6-foot-9, 190-pound small forward from Hamilton (WI) High School committed Wednesday to UW-Milwaukee head coach Pat Baldwin Sr.
Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 1 small forward and No. 4 overall prospect in the Class of 2021, Baldwin chose Milwaukee over Duke and Georgetown.
“I will be playing for my dad at Milwaukee,” he told ESPN’s Paul Biancardi. “I had some great options which made me not rush through the process. The thought of playing for my dad was too good to pass up.
“In today’s day and age you see mid-majors having great success, most recently Loyola and Oral Roberts.”
He is projected as the No. 9 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, per ESPN.com.
Duke was considered a favorite for Baldwin throughout his recruitment. However, after Duke freshman Jalen Johnson opted out of the season, many experts predicted that Baldwin would choose the hometown Panthers.
Baldwin and Johnson played together on the EYBL circuit in 2019, where they developed a close relationship.
Baldwin Jr. suffered a season-ending ankle injury in December and has spent the past two months recovering and focusing on his recruitment.
“My dad Patrick Sr. first taught me the game,” he told Biancardi. “I trust him with everything.
“During COVID we spent so much time together as a family and we watched a lot of film together. We broke down my strengths and weaknesses. He taught me how to shoot the ball at a young age. He never puts my game in a box. He started to show me some creative ways he would play me if I went to Milwaukee.
“At the end staying close to home was important to me.”
Photo: 247Sports.com
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