Caden Pierce Reportedly Set For Purdue Visit, Top CBB Landing Spots Amid Rumors

After announcing over the summer plans to take a redshirt year before transferring for the 2026-27 season, Caden Pierce is lining up recruiting visits with several marquee programs.

Per ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Pierce is scheduled to visit Purdue this weekend. He also has meetings planned with Duke, Connecticut, Louisville and Gonzaga in the coming weeks.

Pierce told ESPN's Jeff Borzello in July that he was taking a redshirt year this season to finish his degree at Princeton before entering the transfer portal:

"This decision is nothing against Princeton. Princeton is forever my home, the school that believed in me coming out of high school. Everything we accomplished is far more than I could have ever imagined. What went into the decision: some of my teammates were leaving, two of our assistant coaches weren't retained. And obviously the current landscape of college basketball is always sitting in the back of your mind. Those things kind of guided my decision."

The move allows Pierce to enter the portal in the fall and go through a full recruiting season rather than, as he described it to Borzello, the "speed-dating process of the postseason transfer portal."

A three-year starter at Princeton, Pierce had a breakout year in 2023-24 when he averaged 16.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He was named Ivy League Player of the Year as a sophomore, leading the Tigers to a 24-5 record and a regular-season conference title.

During his freshman year, Pierce helped Princeton win the Ivy League tournament title for the second time in program history and a No. 15 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16 by upsetting Arizona and Missouri before falling to Creighton.

Pierce's performance fell off last season due to injuries, including a sprained ankle in which he tore two ligaments. He averaged 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 29 starts.

The 21-year-old figures to be among the most sought-after players in the transfer portal.

Purdue has a great recruiting pitch to sell right now. Head coach Matt Painter has the Boilermakers off to a 6-0 start and ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.