Duke Basketball Target Caden Pierce Now Checking Out Elsewhere

The potential Duke basketball prize has a few visits left on his slate.

Dec 21, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Princeton Tigers forward Caden Pierce (3) dunks the ball against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images | Tom Horak-Imagn Images

Duke basketball hosted Caden Pierce two weeks ago. The 21-year-old, who decided not to play for the Princeton Tigers this season and entered the transfer portal in early September with eyes on completing his final year of eligibility elsewhere next season, sat behind the bench in Cameron Indoor Stadium and watched the still-unbeaten Blue Devils pull off a 67-66 win over the defending national champion Florida Gators.

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Now, though, Pierce is in Storrs, Conn., where his visit with Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies, another of his top suitors, coincides with the recent back-to-back national champs' Tuesday night home bout against the Butler Bulldogs.

Dec 21, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Princeton Tigers forward Caden Pierce (3) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images | Tom Horak-Imagn Images

Pierce, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward, has thus far completed visits with only two programs in the Duke Blue Devils and Grand Canyon Antelopes. After touring UConn, he'll have two more trips to take in his recruitment, as the Gonzaga Bulldogs are set to welcome him to Spokane, Wash., on Friday, Jan. 2, before he heads to Louisville, Ky., to check out the Louisville Cardinals on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

There is no word yet as to when Caden Pierce plans to choose a winner.

A few transfers have thrived as Duke basketball players in the Jon Scheyer era, including a current senior forward and defensive stalwart off the bench, Maliq Brown, now in his second season in Durham.

Plus, it's worth remembering that one of Pierce's former Princeton teammates and close friends, Jack Scott, is a Blue Devil senior and plans to stick around as a graduate assistant next season.

Moreover, as is the case with Scheyer and retired Duke basketball legend Mike Krzyzewski, Pierce hails from Chicagoland.

Apr 1, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski talks with associate head coach Jon Scheyer during a practice session before the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament Final Four semifinals at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Last season, Pierce's third with the Tigers, the versatile collegian out of Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, Ill., averaged 11.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.0 steals for a Princeton squad that finished 19-11 overall and 8-6 in Ivy League play. Some of those stats marked a considerable drop from his sophomore campaign, in which he tallied 16.6 points per game, shooting 54.6 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from three, en route to becoming the 2023-24 Ivy League Player of the Year and helping fuel a 24-5 overall record.

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