Big Ten bound: Caden Pierce ’26 announces transfer to Purdue Boilermakers

The final chapter of Caden Pierce’s ’26 collegiate career will be written in West Lafayette, Ind.

Pierce — the 2023–24 Ivy League Player of the Year and former Tiger standout — announced Friday via Instagram that he will spend his last year of collegiate eligibility in the Big Ten playing for Purdue University.

After narrowing his recruitment and making five official visits, Pierce chose the Big Ten powerhouse over Duke, Gonzaga University, the University of Louisville, and the University of Connecticut.

“I went into each visit with an open mind and really just evaluated each school based on if I could see myself there or not,” Pierce told The Daily Princetonian. “After taking all my visits, I decided on a place that felt most like home.”

At Purdue, Pierce will be just two hours away from his hometown in Glen Ellyn, Ill. Pierce said that it will “be special to be able to play a lot of games close to home.”

“I've been out on the East Coast for the last four years, and so a lot of friends and family back home haven’t been able to see me play,” he said. “It’ll be nice to return home and have those experiences and all the support from friends and family.”

His decision comes seven months after announcing he would sit out his senior year in Old Nassau to preserve his eligibility, a move prompted by a turbulent 2024–25 season.

The Tigers’ year concluded with significant changes to the team: Xaivian Lee’s transfer to Florida, Jack Scott’s departure to Duke, and two assistant coaches being asked not to return. The Orange and Black are currently 8–15 overall and sixth in the Ivy League standings.

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“All of the departures were significant,” Pierce told the ‘Prince’ in an October 2025 interview.

Throughout the recruitment process, Pierce leaned heavily on Scott, Lee, and his older brother, Justin, who transferred to the University of North Carolina in 2019 after graduating in three years at William & Mary.

With only one year of eligibility remaining, Pierce said he prioritized coaching style and his fit and role on the team over Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities.

“A huge part of this decision for me was [wanting] to go somewhere where I was going to play,” Pierce said. “I have one year left. I wanted to be able to step in and play a significant role right away.”

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Pierce recalled the chaos of officially entering the transfer portal, hearing from over 20 programs.

“The first two days of the portal process were very hectic and busy in a good way,” Pierce said. “You have that coming out of high school a little bit, but for me, it was much more this go-round and so that was a cool experience to have so many coaches calling it at one time.”

Purdue was one of the first schools to reach out to Pierce, who communicated primarily with head coach Matt Painter and assistant coach P.J. Thompson, who oversees the team’s offense.

Pierce took a visit to Purdue on Nov. 28. He added that both coaches were “upfront” and “very comfortable in their own skin.”

“They’ve had the ability to build a really competitive roster … regardless of who’s on the team. I think that speaks to them as coaches and their ability to develop and recruit talent and players who they think will be really effective in their system,” Pierce said.

“They saw that in me right away and I’m just grateful for their time and energy, and ultimately feel like it’s gonna be a really good fit,” he continued.

Despite having the most Big Ten regular season championships (26) and reaching two NCAA championship games — most recently in 2024 — Purdue has not yet won an NCAA championship.

Ahead of the 2025–26 season, the Boilermakers were ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. The program is currently 20–4 and sits No. 13 in the AP poll. In the latest ESPN bracketology, 10 Big Ten programs are slated to make the NCAA tournament, highlighting the conference’s strength.

At Purdue, Pierce is expected to step into a significant front court role, replacing graduating seniors Trey Kaufman-Renn and Liam Murphy.

“It just gives me a good opportunity to go in and prove myself as a player that can step in right away, play in the Big Ten, and be an effective piece to a really good team,” Pierce said.

Purdue’s starting five this year features only one non-senior, sophomore guard C.J. Cox.

“They’re going to have a little bit of a younger team [next year],” Pierce said. “Hopefully, I can come in and make my mark on the program, being a leader, getting young guys up to speed.”

Pierce noted how Purdue’s staff is excited about having a “proven veteran guy who can step in and play right away and be a big part of a good team.”

On the court, Pierce said that his priority has been to improve his shooting, particularly from beyond the arc.

“I think just expanding my offensive game, and specifically my three-point shooting is probably the first thing on my priority list in terms of development,” Pierce said. “The more I’m able to knock down threes at a consistent rate, at a high clip, will just continue to open up the rest of my game.”

Pierce said that he is looking at this next step “as almost the first stop in my basketball pro career,” adding that the goal is to make it to the NBA in 2027.

“Going to a place like Purdue, you’re going to have eyes on you, and you’re going to have an opportunity to prove yourself at the national level,” Pierce said.

“It’s an opportunity that I’m going to try and take full advantage of. If the NBA doesn’t work out, I’m just going to continue to play at the highest level I possibly can, whatever that is,” he continued.

Pierce said that sitting out his senior year at Princeton has brought its own challenges.

“What you don’t necessarily see or understand when you’re making that decision is the difficulty of the day-to-day life, training by yourself or commuting by yourself every single day. It’s gotten lonely at times,” Pierce said.

“Ultimately, I’ll look back on this process and understand that I made strides not only as a player, but a person as well,” he continued.

Pierce will enroll as a graduate student at Purdue in the fall, but will start practicing with the team over the summer.

“Mackey Arena is one, if not the best atmosphere in college basketball,” Pierce said. “The students, the surrounding community, the state of Indiana in general, just absolutely loves basketball … and I’m just excited to be in that environment and have that kind of support for my last year of college basketball.”

After a year away from organized basketball, Pierce will now enter an environment that demands immediate impact, doing so in what many consider the toughest conference in the country.

“I’m just looking forward to getting this started.”

Hayk Yengibaryan is a head News editor emeritus and senior Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Glendale, Calif. and typically covers breaking news and profiles. He can be reached at hy5161[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.