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Cal transfer guard Justin Pippen commits to Ohio State

Danby: Daniel Hager04/10/26DanielHagerOn3

Cal transfer guard Justin Pippen has committed to Ohio State. On3’s Joe Tipton confirmed the news. Pippen is the son of NBA Hall of Famer, Scottie, and brother to Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Jr.

Ohio State will mark Pippen’s third program in three seasons. The Los Angeles native started his collegiate career at Michigan (2024-25), where he averaged just 1.6 points and 0.6 assists. He then transferred to Cal, where he shone this season. As a sophomore, Pippen averaged 14.2 points and 4.6 assists.

Pippen becomes head coach Jake Diebler and Ohio State‘s first addition out of the Portal. He has big shoes to fill, as two-time Second Team All-Big 10 selection and the program’s all-time leading scorer, point guard Bruce Thornton, has exhausted his eligibility.

Ohio State just completed the second full season of the Diebler era in Columbus. The Buckeyes accrued a 21-13 (12-8) record and earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They, however, fell to No. 8 seed TCU in the very first game of 2026’s March Madness.

In defeat, Diebler seemed excited for the trajectory of the Ohio State program heading into his third full season in charge. The Buckeyes are desperately seeking NCAA Tournament success, as they haven’t reached the second weekend since 2013.

“I hope people saw and appreciate the toughness and family atmosphere we have in this program,” Diebler said. “That’s what this program was built upon, being tough and being connected. It’s a big reason why we got to this point of the season. It’s a big reason why we played the way we played in the second half.

So that’s what I hope people saw. Again, we’ve got great young men in that locker room, and they were a real joy to coach. We enjoyed going to practice, working extremely hard every single day, every single day this season. As a coach, that’s really powerful and impactful from our team. So I’m grateful for that.”

If Justin Pippen ultimately reaches the NBA, the Pippen family will become the latest to have two sons of a former NBA player reach the league. A few of these other brother duos/trios include Stephen and Seth Curry, Brent, Jon, and Drew Barry, and Jerami and Jerian Grant).

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and X (formerly Twitter) account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.