Princeton star Caden Pierce to redshirt, graduate, transfer

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Princeton standout forward Caden Pierce intends to redshirt next season so he can finish his degree before entering the transfer portal to play elsewhere in 2026-27, he told ESPN.

The 2023-24 Ivy League Player of the Year, Pierce said his decision “is nothing against Princeton” but rather a byproduct of roster and coaching changes.

First-team All-Ivy League guard Xaivian Lee, for example, transferred to Florida while Princeton coach Mitch Henderson also made alterations to the coaching staff, including two assistants who were not retained, Pierce said.

“And obviously,” Pierce added, “the current landscape of college basketball is always sitting in the back of your mind. Those things kind of guided my decision.”

A 6-foot-7, 220-pound junior this past season, Pierce said he will enter the transfer portal as soon as he can in the fall so as to create a longer timeline for his recruitment.

“It takes away the speed-dating process of the postseason transfer portal,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting because I’m not going to have a sense of what the complete roster makeup is going to be for the coming year. … Because I won’t be involved with the team, I can take some visits here and there, move at a slower pace, it won’t have to be so rushed.”

Pierce started 89 of 90 games played across three seasons for Princeton, including playing a significant role in the team’s Sweet 16 run in 2023. He averaged 11.9 points on 48.7 percent shooting to go along with 7.9 rebounds for the Tigers.

Injuries this past season, including two fully torn ligaments and two partially torn ligaments in his ankle in December, put a damper on his junior campaign, although he did earn second-team all-conference honors after averaging 11.2 points, 7.2 boards and 3.2 assists.

–Field Level Media