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After a lengthy recruitment process, the younger son of Chicago Bulls legend and NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen has chosen his program at the collegiate level.
In an interview with On3, Justin Pippen explained how the move to Michigan was perfect for his long-term aspirations, which see him join his father Scottie Pippen, and elder brother, Scotty Pippen Jr. at the NBA level:
"I chose Michigan because my long-term goal is to make the NBA. Michigan is great for my development and playing on that big of a stage in that conference is great for me."
The four-star recruit from Sierra Canyon received offers from Cal, Florida, Stanford and Texas A&M. He told ESPN the recruitment process had almost reached its end before the offer from coach May changed his mind:
"I was really going to make a decision between my other schools. 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."
In particular, the combo guard was appreciative of May and his transparency throughout the process, giving a special shoutout to him:
"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."
With the Michigan Wolverines hiring new head coach Dusty May, the team had a renewed focus on acquiring talent.
The new look Michigan Wolverines
Justin Pippen is the first recruit under the new Dusty May regime to come on board the program. But, with rumors swirling about, he might be far from the last one.
Alongside Justin, names like Johnell Davis and Vladislav Goldin from Florida Atlantic, Ohio State's Roddy Gayle Jr., Auburn's Tre Donaldson and Yale's Danny Wolf have also been linked to the Michigan program.
For the younger Pippen, he got the nod of approval from his family as well. With both father and brother Scotty Pippen Jr. making it to the pros, his decision to go with Michigan rested solely on himself and didn't receive any pushback from his family:
"They let me make my own decision. They know it's great academically. They both spoke with Coach May."
How did Scottie Pippen fare in college?
Chosen as a walk-on for the significantly less popular NAIA league's University of Central Arkansas, Scottie Pippen did not receive a ton of media attention or hype at the collegiate level.
In Arkansas, he grew in height, going from 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-8. That growth came hand-in-hand with increased production, with his senior year average of 23.6 points and 10 rebounds on 60% shooting earning him consensus NAIA All-American honors.
Eventually, his number 33 was retired by the school as he remains arguably the best basketball player to come out of the program.
With his second son now starting his basketball journey, do you think Justin Pippen can scale the same heights as Scottie Pippen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
