Michigan guard Justin Pippen, son of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, plans to enter transfer portal

Michigan guard Justin Pippen plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Joe Tipton. He is the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen. Justin has only spent one season with the Wolverines.

Pippen has made 28 appearances for Michigan this season. He is averaging 1.6 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 6.6 minutes per game. Pippen’s sample size is limited but he’s shooting 27.3% from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc this season.

Although Pippen’s numbers don’t jump off the page, his teammates have been impressed by him. Before the season began, Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin spoke highly of their freshman teammate.

“When he was playing, [you could see] he has basketball in his blood,” Wolf said. “He’s really mature for a freshman point guard, and he knows the game really well, plays with great pace. I’m excited to see what he looks like when he’s all healthy.”

“When I played in the lineup with Justin, he doesn’t look like a freshman, probably just because of his experience — it makes sense, because he was probably surrounded by basketball,” Goldin added. “But he looks way more experienced, and he knows how to play and knows how to adjust to different roles. He’s been one of the most mature players on the team.”

Justin Pippen played high school basketball at Sierra Canyon (CA), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 69 overall player and No. 18 shooting guard in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Pippen averaged 16.5 points, 4.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in his senior season at Sierra Canyon. For his efforts, he was named CIF Southern Section Boys Basketball Breakout Player of the Year.

Now, Pippen will look to break out with a new team name across his chest. While Pippen begins his search for a new home, Michigan is still in the hunt for a national championship.

On Saturday, the Wolverines defeated 4-seed Texas A&M 71-69 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since the 2021-22 season. Pippen didn’t see any action in the win. After the game, Michigan head coach Dusty May discussed the importance of maintaining focus as the Wolverines prepare to square off against Auburn.

“That’s the challenge this time of year, to block out the extra noise, to stay in that foxhole with your teammates and staff and sports staff and everyone else,” May said. “… We’ll enjoy it. We’ll get back to the practice court. We’ll address some things that need to be fixed, and without a doubt, our guys, they’re so oriented, they’ll be ready to work.”