"If I'm Princeton, I'm barring him from the facility": Analyst levies harsh criticism on Ivy standout Caden Pierce for transfer portal decision

Sports analyst Aaron Torres criticized the decision of Princeton forward Caden Pierce to redshirt the 2025-26 college basketball season to finish his degree before placing his name in the transfer portal.

Torres, who hosts a show on Fox Sports Radio about college football and basketball, reacted with a heavy tirade on the 2023-24 Ivy League Player of the Year. He suggested that if he were the university's athletic head, he would deny Caden Pierce of his perks.

"I know the Ivys don't give out athletic scholarships. But if I'm Princeton, I'm barring him from the facility and giving him zero financial aid," Torres wrote on X. "If he wants to complete the degree he can pay his own way. You're either part of the team or you're not."

The six-foot-seven Illinois native, who was an incoming senior if he suited up this year, informed Tigers coach Mitch Henderson about his decision last week (per ESPN). He called Princeton his home and noted it was a personal decision to sit out this season and enter the portal for the 2026-27 campaign.

In three seasons with the Tigers, Caden Pierce averaged 11.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He shot 48.7% from the field and 70.8% from the free-throw line.

Last season, the forward played on despite an ankle injury, and his numbers dipped from 16.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.2 apg and 1.2 spg in the 2023-24 season to 11.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.2 apg and 1.0 spg this past season.

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Princeton's roster and NIL changes force Caden Pierce to redshirt the 2025-26 season

Caden Pierce posted a statement on Instagram, citing Princeton's significant changes to its roster and the Name, Image and Likeness landscape as the major factors in his decision.

“Whether that (change) is teammates and coaches that I came in with leaving, or the broader landscape of college basketball evolving, all of these factors have led me to sit out my senior year of basketball at Princeton,” the Tigers forward wrote.

During the offseason, Princeton parted ways with point guard Xaivian Lee, who eventually transferred to the 2025 NCAA champion Florida. Tigers coach Mitch Henderson decided to let go of associate coach Brett MacConnell, who secured a new assistant coaching job with Stanford.

As the Tigers' chief recruiter during his tenure, MacConnell was instrumental in the recruitment of Pierce and other stars who wore the team's uniform in recent years.

The development adds more uncertainty to Princeton's 2025-26 campaign. Henderson has yet to comment on Pierce's decision.