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Jeff Borzello
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Jeff Borzello
ESPN Staff Writer
- Basketball recruiting insider.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of University of Delaware.
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Paul Biancardi
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Paul Biancardi
Basketball Recruiting
- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Four-star senior Justin Pippen, son of Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, announced his commitment to Michigan on Friday.
Pippen chose new coach Dusty May and the Wolverines over a final list that included Cal, Florida, Stanford and Texas A&M.
“I like the feel of the campus and school,” Pippen told ESPN. “I wanted to be at a big school. They can help me reach my end goal of making the NBA.”
Michigan was a late arrival into Pippen’s recruitment, but shortly after May was hired as Juwan Howard’s replacement in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines entered the mix.
“I was really going to make a decision between my other schools,” Pippen said. “Then I got a call from Coach Dusty May. I wanted to give him a chance. We set up a Zoom call. I went on a visit and I felt it was the right place and situation for me.
“Coach Dusty May has been straight up with me. He sees me playing both on and off the ball. He even mentioned they are bringing in other guys.”
A 6-foot-3 combo guard who attended Sierra Canyon High School (California), Pippen was a late breakout in his prep career. A four-star guard, he will likely be ranked in the final ESPN 100 rankings for the 2024 class.
It’s a similar story to his brother, Scotty Pippen Jr., who emerged as a star at Vanderbilt after being underrecruited coming out of high school and played in 21 games for the Memphis Grizzlies this season.
His family fully supported his decision to attend Michigan.
“They let me make my own decision,” Justin said. “They know it’s great academically. They both spoke with Coach May.”
Pippen is one of the most improved prospects in the nation. He worked on his shooting accuracy, refined his ballhandling skills and sharpened his ability to read ball screens in the offseason. He has developed a keen scoring instinct and an aptitude for creating opportunities for his teammates.
Pippen is the first pickup since May moved to Michigan, although the Wolverines are in the mix for a long list of transfers. They’re currently pursuing Florida Atlantic‘s Johnell Davis and Vladislav Goldin, Ohio State‘s Roddy Gayle Jr., Auburn‘s Tre Donaldson and Yale‘s Danny Wolf.