Former Cal and Michigan Guard Justin Pippen, Son of Scottie Pippen, Commits to Ohio State

Former Cal and Michigan guard Justin Pippen, the son of NBA legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, will transfer to Ohio State after the Buckeyes landed him out of the transfer portal on Friday. He'll be a junior in 2026-27.

NEWS: Cal guard Justin Pippen is committing to transfer to Ohio State, per his agents at WME Basketball. Hes a sophomore who averaged 14.2 points per game this year and had 4.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds. Hes the son of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen. pic.twitter.com/zsqVEp2Mlp

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 10, 2026

Pippen enjoyed a breakout campaign in his sophomore year at Cal, emerging as an excellent passer and defender while bringing a volume scoring threat. He averaged 14.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists per game and 1.9 steals per game, the fifth-most swipes in the ACC. He shot just 37% from the field, but with 5.2 of his 11.2 attempts per game coming from three, he could improve on that mark with schematic adjustments.

Ranked as the No. 106 prospect in the recruiting class of 2024 by the 247Sports composite, Pippen signed on for Dusty May's first year at Michigan, but didn't carve out much of a role in his freshman year. He played just 6.7 minutes per game behind a seasoned Wolverine core of transfers, scoring 1.6 points with 0.6 assists per game. He transferred to Cal the following offseason.

Pippen is likely to start at guard for Ohio State alongside junior John Mobley Jr. in 2026-27, assuming that Mobley returns to the Buckeyes after testing NBA draft waters and Pippen beats out any other acquisitions at guard OSU gets from the portal, as more are likely to come since the Buckeyes lost Bruce Thornton to graduation and both Gabe Cupps and Taison Chatman to the portal at the position.

With his tremendous passing skills, Pippen can run point in many Ohio State sets while Mobley plays his more natural off-guard position. Pippen's 4.6 assists per game were seventh in the ACC last season, and his assist percentage (an advanced stat that estimates the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted) of 29% in 2025-26 would have been the highest of any Buckeye since JaQuan Lyle's 30.6% in 2016-17.

Pippen's defense should also be a great complement to Mobley, who improved but still had his shortcomings in that area in 2025-26. Pippen's length at 6-foot-3 and defensive instincts – likely inherited from his father – was a real challenge to the ACC's perimeter players this past season, as he logged a team-high 1.8 defensive win shares.

Pippen is the first of what is expected to be several transfer portal acquisitions for Jake Diebler's third Ohio State team in 2026-27. The Buckeyes are still searching for a starting-caliber center to round out their starting lineup, plus several depth pieces, including at guard and on the wing.