Justin Pippen to enter transfer portal even though his Michigan team is still in Sweet 16
Justin Pippen to enter transfer portal even though his Michigan team is still in Sweet 16
Michigan Wolverines freshman guard Justin Pippen will reportedly enter the transfer portal, which is particularly surprising due to the timing.
That is because Michigan is one of the teams that advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, which means his team is still alive and will have a chance to cut down the nets at the end of March Madness.
While it is not all that uncommon for a player to enter the transfer portal despite their team making the tournament, it is far more rare to see someone make that decision before their team is actually eliminated.
Pippen, a freshman and former four-star recruit from Sierra Canyon in Southern California, averaged just 6.7 minutes per game during the season.
He is the son of Basketball Hall of Fame forward Scottie Pippen and younger brother of Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr.
The freshman played high school basketball alongside Bryce James (son of LeBron James and brother of Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James), Kamron Martin (son of former NBA player Kenyon Martin and younger brother of Utah Jazz forward KJ Martin), and Ashton Hardaway (son of former NBA player and Memphis Tigers coach Penny Hardaway).
Pippen also received collegiate offers from Georgia Tech, Stanford, and Texas A&M before enrolling at Michigan.
He was ruled out of the NCAA men's basketball tournament after reportedly suffering concussion symptoms and did not travel with the team for the Big Ten Tournament or March Madness.
Today is the first day that Pippen could officially enter the portal as the window officially opened.
However, it does not make a ton of sense for why the window would open while the tournament is still happening.
As the current rules go, it creates for some potentially awkward situations like the one involving Pippen.
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Tim Duncan's prime was maximized because San Antonio built with precision. Shooting. Defense. Clarity. Manu Ginobili didn't need the ball to impact the game. Tony Parker could bend defenses without dominating possessions. Everyone fit around Duncan, and San Antonio always evolved with the times as the NBA changed. And because of that, it lasted two decades. Wembanyama deserves that kind of infrastructure. And right now, it feels like the Spurs are building a roster better suited for 2005. But the blueprint has never been clearer: surround your generational star with players who space the floor, make quick decisions, and elevate him without always needing the ball to do it. Do that, and Wembanyama changes the sport. Don't, and years from now we'll talk about how the Spurs landed an alien and built a roster that made him look human.
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