Ohio State lands former California guard, NBA legacy Justin Pippen
COLUMBUS – Ohio State has its first transfer portal addition of the offseason. The Buckeyes have added some much-needed depth to their backcourt.
Former Cal guard Justin Pippen has committed to Ohio State. Pippen is the youngest son of Naismith Hall of Fame inductee and six-time NBA Champion Scottie Pippen.
Pippen averaged 14.2 points per game for the Golden Bears this season. He also stuffed the stat sheet by averaging 4.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Pippen was named honorable mention All-ACC with that stat line.
Justin Pippen comes to Ohio State for Cal but he actually started his college career at Michigan. He signed with the Wolverines in the 2024 class and was a part of Dusty May’s recruiting first class. Pippen only spent one season in Ann Arbor, however, before entering the Transfer Portal last offseason.
The 6-foot-3 and 180-pound Pippen will now get to experience both sides of the greatest rivalry in all of sport.
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Pippen is ranked as the No. 15 shooting guard and the No. 79 overall player in the On3 Transfer Portal Industry Ranking. On3 ranks Pippen as the No. 65 player in the portal.
Ohio State needs to add a starting point guard and center out of the portal. But it would also like to add depth to their backcourt. Pippen has the potential to play either role for Jake Diebler’s squad this season, depending on who else they add. Regardless, he adds experience and two-way ability to the backcourt.
The core of the Buckeyes’ roster appears to be set. They are bringing back starters John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum for next season. Mobley will occupy the shooting guard spot while Bynum will remain at power forward.
Ohio State is also expected to retain backup big men Josh Ojianwuna and Ivan Njegovan as it attempts to get bigger in the front court. Additionally, the Buckeyes have Anthony Thomson and Alex Smith coming in as part of the 2026 class. Thompson is a five-star prospect and is expected to start at small forward. Smith, on the other hand, will likely be one of Ohio State’s top bench options.