G Justin Pippen (Official Thread)

[ScriptOhio]

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https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48448767/cal-guard-justin-pippen-transferring-ohio-state

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.

https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/justin-pippen/13473

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

 

[ScriptOhio]

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

Justin: Justin Pippen​

I have been heavy on the Justin Pippen train since he transferred to Ohio State from California, and I am going to buy even more stock.

In the first game, Pippen wasn’t perfect. He finished with 12 points on 3-for-9 shooting, four rebounds, four assists, and one turnover. Not bad, but he struggled a bit from the field. In the second game, the junior point guard finished with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting, two rebounds, five assists, and no turnovers in 18 minutes.

So, for the folks counting at home, Pippen averaged 13 points per game, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 0.5 turnovers in two games in Puerto Rico. If those are his averages this year, he will be an All-Big Ten selection.

The thing that might surprise people who have not seen Pippen play much in college yet is that he is one of the best on-ball defenders in the conference, and one of the best defensive guards the Buckeyes have had since Luther Muhammed, and he might even be better.

So, while the offensive output is there as well, he will always be valuable with what he brings on the defensive end of the ball. I am all in on Justin Pippen, and these two games only solidified that.