Gonzaga to host Princeton transfer wing Caden Pierce Friday for an official visit

Pierce was high school teammates with current Gonzaga star Braden Huff

Dec 21, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Princeton Tigers forward Caden Pierce (3) dribbles to the net while being guarded by Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) during the second half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images | Tom Horak-Imagn Images

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are no strangers to exploring unusually timed roster moves via the transfer portal.

Last year the Zags hosted Jalen Warley on a visit in October, shortly after he re-entered the portal from Virginia following the surprise retirement of longtime head coach Tony Bennett. Warley ended up committing, redshirting the rest of the year, and is now a crucial part of Gonzaga's frontcourt rotation - leading the team with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and three steals on Tuesday against San Diego.

Gonzaga will hope for a similar success story with Princeton's Caden Pierce, who is set to begin an official visit to Spokane today according to Joe Tipton of On3.

Pierce is also considering Duke, Purdue, UConn, and Louisville.

Princeton transfer Caden Pierce will take an official visit to Gonzaga today, he told @On3sports.

The 6-7 forward and 2023-24 Ivy League Player of the Year is also considering Duke, Purdue, UConn, and Louisville. https://t.co/l2M0IwZ7ZG pic.twitter.com/0qvfksNxfq

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) January 2, 2026

Pierce is a 6'7 wing from Glenbard West high school outside Chicago, where he teamed up with current Zag Braden Huff to lead the team to a 37-1 record, a Class 4A IHSA State championship, and a top ten ranking at MaxPreps.

He spent three seasons at Princeton, helping lead the Tigers to a massive upset win as a No. 15 seed over No. 2 Arizona in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman. He broke out in a major way as a sophomore, averaging 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while leading the Ivy League with a stellar 58.7% effective field goal rate. He shot 61.1% on two-point attempts and 34.2% from three, and was named the conference Player of the Year.

An ankle injury limited Pierce as a junior, but he still managed to post averages of 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. The 6'7 wing then opted to enter the transfer portal in the spring, while announcing he would redshirt this season and finish his degree at Princeton (who wouldn't?) while weighing options for his final year of eligibility.

Gonzaga's connection to Pierce via Huff makes them a strong contender, as does the team's lack of wing depth beyond this season. Tyon Grant-Foster, Jalen Warley, Adam Miller, and potentially Steele Venters will be out of eligibility after this year, leaving the Zags with Emmanuel Innocenti, Davis Fogle, and incoming freshmen Jack Kayil and Luca Foster competing for minutes at the two and the three in 2026-27 - the program's first year as members of the Pac-12 conference.

Gonzaga will bring Pierce onto campus for Friday's game against new WCC foe Seattle U, with the game set to tip at 6:00 PM PT on ESPN+.