Caden Pierce Explains Why He Committed to Purdue over UConn, Duke and Others
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When Caden Pierce announced he was taking a season off and entering the transfer portal, plenty of suitors came calling. The Princeton star and 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year could have played for a number of schools. In the end, though, he committed to Purdue to finish his career.
Pierce visited five elite programs and heard from multiple others. But several things appealed to him about Purdue, ultimately resulting in his commitment to the program back in February.
"Purdue, being a Midwest kid, it felt the most like home," Pierce told the Off the Leash podcast. "I just really loved what their staff and their entire culture, what it felt like. I wanted to be part of that. Coach Painter is one of the most respected coaches in college basketball. Everybody I talked to — I did a bunch of behind-the-scenes research, talked to a bunch of different people — everybody had nothing but good things to say about him and the entire staff, really."
The 6-foot-6 Pierce brings versatility and athleticism to West Lafayette. In three seasons at Princeton, he averaged 11.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. When he was named the Ivy League Player of the Year after the 2023-24 campaign, he posted 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.
Pierce said that, during the decision-making process, he was considering multiple factors. The most important? The ability to compete for a national title.
"When I went through this process, I visited five schools: Purdue, Duke, UConn, Gonzaga and Louisville. Really, the main criteria for my school, I just wanted to go to a place that was gonna be able to potentially compete for a national championship," Pierce said. "Those five schools have been nationally ranked this year and in years past. Those were all very different experiences on those visits."
Purdue's retention stood out to Pierce
Matt Painter has earned a lot of respect for the culture he has established in West Lafayette. Purdue is a program that depends heavily on retention, with very few players transferring in and out of the program.
That was another appealing quality to Pierce, saying he felt like Purdue truly needed his services in order to compete for a national championship.
"It's a testament to their culture," Pierce said. "They don't have a lot of guys transferring in and out. I think, for me coming in as a transfer, that signaled to me that they really want me and they need me. Whereas, some other programs might just be taking me because I'm a high-level transfer and I'm experienced."
Purdue's retention is a theme again this offseason. The Boilermakers announced that all of its scholarship players from the 2025-26 season will be returning for next year. Only one player — reserve guard and walk-on Aaron Fine — has entered the transfer portal.
It only reaffirms Pierce's belief that he can come in and provide Purdue with something it needs heading into the 2026-27 season.
"Purdue, it felt like they really need me, they want me," Pierce said, "and they're always going to be a good team."
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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