Michigan trending for 4-star SG Justin Pippen

Michigan is trending to land Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon four-star shooting guard Justin Pippen, per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

The Wolverines lead in the RPM with a 91.9 percent chance of Pippen committing.

On3 national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw logged an expert prediction with a 60 percent confidence level for the Wolverines to land Pippen.

Pippen is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, also the brother of NBA guard Scottie Pippen, Jr.

“Much like his brother, Justin Pippen is a later bloomer,” Shaw wrote in February. “He has always been a good athlete and an aggressive basketball player at the point of attack, however, this high school season he has sprouted up to 6-foot-3.

“The Chatsworth (CA) Sierra Canyon guard has produced some big outputs this season. However, the efficiency and processing are questions. Of the 12 games that Synergy has charted this season, Pippen is averaging 14.8 points while shooting 37.1 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from three. In that span, he is also averaging 5.8 assists with a 3.00 assist-to-turnover while averaging 2.3 steals.  

“The eye test will show you a guard with good size, who is comfortable with the ball in his hands and has no trouble touching the paint. He plays aggressively, and without question deserves to be in the 2024 On3 150. Currently, he is a 6-foot-3 combo guard who needs to continue developing his scoring efficiency. That put him as a high three-star, at No. 115 in this update.”

Dusty May era begins in Ann Arbor

Last month, Michigan hired former FAU head coach Dusty May to replace Juwan Howard. He spent the last six years at Florida Atlantic and helped lead the Owls to the Final Four during the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

May put himself on the map with that Final Four run, which was the culmination of his rebuild at FAU – one of the toughest jobs in the country. The Owls went 35-4, including 18-2 in their final year in Conference USA, before falling to San Diego State in a 72-71 nail-biter in Houston.

FAU followed that up with a 25-8 overall record and a 14-4 mark in its American Athletic Conference debut. The Owls were an 8-seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, but saw their season come to an end with a 77-65 first-round loss to Northwestern in overtime.

Overall, May amassed a 126-70 record at Florida Atlantic, including a 61-39 conference record between Conference USA and the AAC. After the Final Four run, the school gave him a lucrative 10-year contract extension.