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Cal G Justin Pippen returning to Big Ten, commits to Ohio State​

Cal guard Justin Pippen is committing to Ohio State, his agents at WME Basketball told ESPN on Friday.

Pippen is a sophomore who is coming off a breakout season in Berkeley, as he averaged 14.2 points, 4.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game last season. He entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier this week.

Pippen is the son of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and played his high school basketball at Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles. His older brother is Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr.

Justin Pippen is expected to play a large role at Ohio State, as he is a combo guard who will be expected to fill a role similar to the one departing Buckeyes guard Devin Royal played.

Pippen will be the rare player to play on both sides of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. Pippen played 28 games for Michigan in 2024-25 before transferring to Cal.

Pippen led Cal in assists and tied for second on the team in scoring average as the Bears reached the second round of the NIT.

10 Justin Pippen​

• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 190
• Year: Junior
• Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
• H.S./Last School: Sierra Canyon

Prior to Ohio State

• Began his collegiate career at Michigan during the 2024-25 season and then played the 2025-26 season at Cal
• Appeared in 28 games off the bench as a freshman for a Michigan squad that won the 2025 Big Ten Tournament title & reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
• Averaged 1.6 PPG in 6.7 minutes played per game as a Wolverine
• In 2025-26 at Cal, he earned honorable mention All-ACC honors
• Was the Bears second-leading scorer, averaging 14.2 points per game and led the team at 4.6 assists per game
• He recorded 61 steals, which ranked him fourth on the Bears’ single-season steals list
• He was also second on the team in blocked shots

High School

• Graduated from Sierra Canyon HS (Chatsworth, California) in spring 2024
• Class of 2024 rankings: ESPN, No. 73; Rivals, No. 73; 247Sports, No. 62
• Helped lead Trailblazers to three 20-plus win seasons & a 91-22 overall record in four years
• Averaged 16.5 PPG, 4.9 APG & 4.5 RPG as a senior in 2023-24

Personal

• Son of Larsa & Scottie Pippen
• Father, Scottie, is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member who played 17 seasons in the NBA & was a key part of the Chicago Bulls dynasty that won six NBA Championships
• Brother, Scotty Pippen Jr., plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. He played collegiately at Vanderbilt from 2019-22 where his lead recruiter was Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler

Gives me Terry McLaurin vibes

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This week’s question: Which players had the most noteworthy performances for Ohio State in Puerto Rico?​

Connor: Anthony Thompson​

Based on Adam Jardy’s reporting from San Juan and some of the clips Ohio State tweeted out this week, Anthony Thompson completely balled out in the Buckeyes’ two games.

Acknowledging that it was against inferior competition, Thompson looked like the type of player that could elevate Ohio State from a middle of the Big Ten type of team to a legitimate Big Ten contender.

In two games, Thompson averaged 13.5 points on 61% shooting overall and was 4-for-10 from three-point range. He also grabbed 13 rebounds in the two games combined, and had two steals in Ohio State’s second win of the week.

Thompson only drew one foul in Puerto Rico and was 1-for-2 at the free throw line, which means Thompson probably wasn’t getting to the basket a ton and instead was relying on his jumper. That worked well against lower level competition, but when the season actually starts, he will need to be able to use his 6-foot-9, 215-pound frame to draw fouls and wear down defenses.

Jardy reported that, after watching these two games, Thompson will need to “continue to develop from a physical standpoint.”

I think it’s super encouraging that Thompson was so efficient playing against grown men and (reportedly) did not look sped up at all playing with college teammates against professional players. More than any other player, I think Thompson’s performance this season could completely change the trajectory of Ohio State’s season.

If he is an All-Big Ten type of player, this will be Jake Diebler’s best Ohio State team by far.

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I like what the veterans are saying about him. They know real. Starting or not, he’s going to get PT and be a force next year, if not this season.

I am going to have to rewatch a podcast or something but I didn’t catch wind of who’s been getting first team reps next to Pierce. I heard the secondary and front line, but missed tje LB dynamic somehow.

ScriptOhio said:

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Ohio State’s kickers have a looong way to go after some missed FGs

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Geez, never had THAT problem before.

Made it through Lonesome Dove. I may need to track down the miniseries just for comparison.

I’ve also been reading some of S. A. Cosby’s stuff. Really solid writer and definitely recommend him.

Funny how the hot streak ended about the same time they stopped playing the Rockies and A’s

He just gave the Silver Bullets some bulletin board material. As Brady Choke would say, "not, not, good."

No. 14 USC loses starting center Kilian O'Connor to season-ending knee injury in practice​

The Trojans are used to a carousel along the offensive line​

A USC offense with big expectations has suffered a tough blow just weeks before the season-opener against San Jose State on Aug. 29. Starting center Kilian O'Connor suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Wednesday, Lincoln Riley announced.

Riley described the incident as a "non-contact kind of freak injury" and confirmed that O'Connor won't take the field in 2026. The Trojans coach said it was a tough pill to swallow given O'Connor's journey from walk-on to starting center.

"Tough one for us I think more than anything from just an emotional standpoint," Riley said, per 247Sports. "Tremendous leader. Obviously well-versed on his track here as a walk-on into becoming a team leader and one of the heartbeats of this program."

The Rimington Trophy, which is handed out to the best center in the nation, had earlier in the day announced O'Connor as on the watch list for the award.
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Which college football teams can go undefeated in 2026? Here are 10 potential candidates​

Every college football team sets out to win each game, but only a select few have the talent, coaching and schedule favorability to pull off that feat​

The expanded College Football Playoff has changed the math, but regular-season perfection still carries value in postseason seeding. Unbeaten Power Four teams don't have to worry about résumé comparisons or strength-of-schedule arguments.

Pulling off an undefeated regular season, however, has never been more difficult. Championship hopefuls must overcome unexpected injuries, and even the nation's heavyweights face dangerous road trips capable of derailing title dreams.

Talent alone is no longer enough. Since 2020, only 10 teams have reached conference championship weekend with undefeated regular seasons, and no season has produced more than two such teams. Last year featured the rare unbeaten No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the Big Ten championship game after Ohio State and Indiana navigated the first 12 games without a loss.

For this list, we're leaning on four traits that separate legitimate unbeaten candidates from everyone else: roster strength, coaching edge, survival ability and, perhaps most importantly, schedule favorability. The teams that navigate their toughest matchups with championship aspirations intact are usually the deepest, most disciplined and best prepared for adversity.

These 10 programs check at least two major boxes. One has the most forgiving schedule in the country, while others boast overwhelming talent or elite coaching. All have a path -- some more realistic than others -- toward finishing the regular season without a blemish.

1. Texas Tech​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: 0.......

2. Notre Dame​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: at BYU, Miami, SMU

3. Miami​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Clemson, at Notre Dame

4. Oregon​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: at USC, at Ohio State, Michigan, Washington

5. Indiana​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Ohio State, at Michigan, USC, at Washington

6. Georgia​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Oklahoma, at Alabama, Florida (Atlanta), at Ole Miss, Missouri

7. Penn State​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: USC, at Michigan, at Washington

8. Ohio State​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: at Texas, at Iowa, at Indiana, at USC, Oregon, Michigan

That's right, Penn State has a better chance than the Buckeyes of finishing the regular season unbeaten because of the significant difference in their schedules.

Those odds improve considerably if Ohio State wins at Texas in Week 2, but no top 10 team faces a more difficult collection of road games than the Buckeyes. If a three-loss team reaches the CFP this season, Ohio State or Texas feels like the most likely candidate because of their schedules.

Chances increase significantly if ... the Buckeyes win their first two road games of the campaign against the Longhorns and Hawkeyes.

9. NC State​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Louisville

10. Texas​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Ohio State, at Tennessee, Oklahoma (Dallas), Florida, Ole Miss, at Missouri, at LSU, at Texas A&M

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Just sayin': Under the new NCAA rule "5 in 5" Luke Montgomery now has 2 more years of college eligibility. He does have the option to play for Ohio State again in 2027 and wait for the 2028 NFL draft.

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Today’s question: Which Ohio State freshman, in any sport, has the highest ceiling?​

Matt’s answer: Chris Henry Jr.​

Normally, when comparing the ceilings of true freshmen across different sports, basketball players have a fairly substantial advantage. One elite freshman can step onto the court, immediately become the focal point of an offense, and completely alter the trajectory of a program. Generally, those types of players only last one season in college and are off to make millions in the NBA

Football players generally need more time; there is some logic in the rule keeping players in college for three years before they can be drafted into the NFL. They have to develop physically, learn a significantly larger playbook, and adjust to playing against grown men who are bigger, stronger, faster, and more experienced than nearly anyone they faced in high school.

All that being said, Chris Henry Jr. might be an exception.

The five-star receiver arrives at Ohio State with practically every physical tool you could ask for. The Buckeyes list him at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, giving him the size to overwhelm smaller defensive backs without sacrificing the athleticism needed to create separation downfield. Henry was the nation’s top-ranked receiver and the No. 10 overall player in the 247Sports Composite ratings. As anyone who has seen him play or watched his film can attest, he has unquestionable athleticism and was one of the premier prizes in the 2026 class.

Of course, Henry’s pedigree extends well beyond recruiting stars and measurements. His father, the late Chris Henry, was a uniquely gifted NFL receiver whose combination of length, speed, and athleticism made him an explosive threat for West Virginia in college and the Cincinnati Bengals in the pros. Henry Jr. also got to learn from his father’s former college and NFL teammate Adam “Pacman” Jones, who adopted him and his brother DeMarcus, who is a five-star small forward with Ohio State in his top-eight schools.

That background, of course, does not guarantee immediate success, but it means Henry has been exposed to the realities of high-level football for most of his life. He should arrive in Columbus more prepared for the expectations, scrutiny, and competition than the typical freshman.
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Zero doubt Coach Mike drooled when he looked at this massive hunk of clay and thought
I can make my own Michelangelo.. let's get started

Definitely thought that Devin portaled because of minutes. This being his money year and all. But losing Devin took a big chunk of leadership and experience from this team. Hopefully, the young 'uns will season-up early, and when the going gets tough, they will rise to the occasion. This will be a young tOSU team. Maybe older players, but not so many with this team experience. Go Bucks!

What ruling would you make, if after getting up, Sophie used a roundhouse kick to knock the snot out of that gal? She's a black belt (or so I've read), but haven't seen any sort of use of said blackbelt stuff on her part? Probably be a Tech foul #2 though. But bet that no one would go after her again.....