Ohio State continues to make moves in the transfer portal. Recently, Justin Pippen, the son of NBA icon Scottie Pippen, announced his commitment to the Buckeyes.
His arrival has already brought huge buzz, especially with the Chicago Bulls legend showing his support in-person at Ohio State’s annual Scarlet and Gray spring game.
Scottie Pippen Explains Why His Son, Justin, Transferred to Buckeyes
More than 40,000 Buckeyes faithful filled Ohio Stadium on Saturday for the spring game. Scottie loved the atmosphere at the Shoe and had only good things to say about the visit.
“It’s a great atmosphere here,” Scottie said. “It’s a great visit for us. I’m looking forward to seeing my son become a part of the Buckeye family.”
Scottie was seen engaging in conversations near midfield with Ohio State men’s basketball coach Jake Diebler, football head coach Ryan Day, and athletic director Ross Bjork during pregame warmups.
As for why Scottie and his family thought Ohio State was the right choice for Justin, the six-time NBA champion had a pointed response.
“I think we want to come to a team that’s ready to compete for a national championship,” Scottie said. “I think just the comfort of being around Coach Diebler. He recruited my son, Scotty, out of high school, but never got a chance to coach him.
“So he told me before he recruited Justin that he would like to coach a Pippen. So I have the confidence and the belief in what he’s doing here, and you know, I’m giving him my son and looking forward to some great things.”
Justin entered the transfer portal earlier this month and committed to Ohio State on April 10. He is a sophomore who is coming off a breakout season at Berkeley, averaging 14.2 points and 4.6 assists per game. Ohio State is his third school in his collegiate career, after he also spent his freshman season at Michigan in 2024-25.
Justin is expected to step into a key role in Ohio State’s reshaped roster, potentially filling the production void left by departing star Devin Royal. Scottie also has one son in the NBA, Scotty Pippen Jr., who is currently playing for the Memphis Grizzlies.
This weekend’s visit also served as an important introduction for Justin to get to know his future teammates and coaching staff. He spent time around fellow transfer Andrija Jelavic, who was also present at the spring game. As a freshman, the former Kentucky forward appeared in 32 games with 20 starts for the Wildcats, averaging 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.
