Former Ivy League Player of the Year Visiting Purdue Basketball
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Former Ivy League Player of the Year Caden Pierce is on Purdue's campus this weekend for a visit. He's in West Lafayette as the top-ranked Boilermakers host Eastern Illinois on Friday afternoon. Later in the evening, Purdue football will host No. 2 Indiana at Ross-Ade Stadium.
GoldandBlack.com reported the news on Friday.
Pierce spent three seasons at Princeton before entering his name into the transfer portal. He is sitting out this year to retain his redshirt status and will have one year of eligibility remaining for the 2026-27 college basketball season.
A 6-foot-7 forward, Pierce enjoyed an outstanding three-year career at Princeton before entering the transfer portal. He was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year for the 2022-23 season and earned Ivy League Player of the Year recognition for the 2023-24 campaign.
During his freshman season at Princeton, Pierce averaged 8.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He also shot 42.6% from the floor.
Pierce followed that up by receiving the league's Player of the Year honors as a sophomore. He scored 16.6 points, grabbed 9.2 rebounds, and dished out 3.2 assists. The forward also shot nearly 55% from the floor that year.
In three seasons at Princeton, Pierce scored 1,069 points, grabbed 710 rebounds, and had 225 assists.
Per ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Pierce is also expected to visit Duke, Louisville, UConn, and Gonzaga in the coming week.
Why Pierce would fit Purdue
At 6-foot-7, Pierce might be slightly undersized for the four position, but that's going to be a position of need for the Boilermakers in the 2026-27 season. Not only is All-Big Ten forward Trey Kaufman-Renn graduating, but 6-foot-11 center Oscar Cluff will also be out of eligibility.
Purdue's frontcourt is going to need some assistance.
Pierce has proven himself to be a terrific scorer and a fierce rebounder. He's also a very skilled passer for someone of his size. With coach Matt Painter putting an emphasis on rebounding, the former Princeton star fits Purdue's mold and what the Boilermakers are trying to accomplish on both ends of the floor.
Pierce hasn't been the most effective three-point shooter, but he has still connected at a near-33% clip throughout his career. It's not a prolific percentage, but might be enough to keep defenses honest.
The former Princeton star has been a major target for multiple college basketball teams, so Purdue getting Pierce to campus is a major win.
Caden Pierce highlights
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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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