ESPN ranks Sussex Hamilton's Baldwin at No. 1 in Class of 2021 basketball rankings, and Washington's Foster is listed third
Curt Hogg
Ever since Patrick Baldwin Jr. enrolled at Sussex Hamilton last summer, there has been plenty of hype surrounding his play on the court.
It only continues to gain steam.
Baldwin, set to enter his sophomore season with the Chargers, is ranked as the top basketball recruit in the 2021 class, according to ESPN's new rankings.
The 6-8 Baldwin burst onto the scene as a freshman, averaging 16.0 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists to help lead Hamilton to its first state appearance in 31 years.
Before beginning his time with the Chargers, Baldwin Jr. had been a blossoming young player in the Chicago area, where his father was an assistant coach at Northwestern University. When the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee hired Baldwin Sr. to be its men's basketball head coach in June 2017, the family relocated to the area and chose Sussex Hamilton
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Baldwin's stock has risen significantly over the past year, including this summer as he has continued to put his pure shooting stroke and deft passing skills on display.
Listed as a small forward, Baldwin Jr. has already received interest from many Division I schools, including offers from Marquette, Arizona State, Kansas State, Minnesota and Northwestern.
Expect that list to keep growing.
Foster ranked third
Baldwin isn't the only 2021 prospect in southeastern Wisconsin that will draw significant attention from college coaches.
Milwaukee Washington forward Michael Foster comes in as the No.3 player in the class. Foster is already verbally committed to play at Arizona State, but there will certainly be plenty of coaches that make sure to see both him and Baldwin in Wisconsin.
Foster's development comes despite being younger than most of his competitors in his class after he skipped the eighth grade, taking classes in the summer to complete the process.
Listed as a 6-8 power forward by ESPN, Foster is seen largely as a raw prospect with a very high ceiling and the work ethic to grow into it.
Sun Prairie shooting guard Jalen Johnson was also listed as the No. 5 player in the class of 2020.