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Caden Pierce, a versatile 6-5 wing for one of the state\u2019s top teams, committed to Princeton on Monday.
Another Glenbard West star is off the board.
Last week Braden Huff committed to Gonzaga. Shooter Bobby Durkin and big man Ryan Renfro both recently committed to Army. This week Caden Pierce, a versatile 6-5 wing for one of the state\u2019s top teams, committed to Princeton.
With double digit Division I offers after a solid and ultra-productive spring and summer with his high school team and the Illinois Wolves on the club circuit, Pierce ultimately chose the Ivy League school over Loyola-Maryland and St. Thomas in Minnesota.
Pierce admitted he was torn a little going into his official visit to Princeton, possibly even \u201cleaning another way\u201d at the time he took the visit in late September. But the official visit turned the tide in his recruitment as everything became more clear. He became more comfortable, familiar and was impressed with all that Princeton had to offer.
\u201cOnce I got on campus at Princeton, I fell in love with it,\u201d said Pierce. \u201cI spent a lot of time with the guys on the team and felt like I fit in really well with them. I watched them practice a little bit and felt like my game would fit well in that system. They are a talented, skilled group.\u201d
What also stood out to Pierce was coach Mitch Henderson\u2019s ability to develop players and how he believed the veteran coach was the right coach for him and his growth as a player.
\u201cWhen I watched how coach Henderson coaches and how he prides himself on player development, I thought it would really benefit me,\u201d said Pierce. \u201cI think I\u2019m just starting to scratch the surface of the player that I will hopefully be, and I think he would be the one to best develop me as a player.\u201d
Then there is always the academic piece of Princeton and an Ivy League education. Pierce says that also played a big part in his decision as he searched for the right blend of basketball and academics.
\u201cGoing to Princeton isn\u2019t a four-year decision but a lifetime decision,\u201d said Pierce. \u201cThe connections and networks I establish at Princeton can set you up for the rest of your life.\u201d
Pierce is the quintessential basketball Swiss Army knife. He fills a stat sheet, can direct an offense in a pinch and is a difference-making defender who is always given the task of stopping the opposing team\u2019s best player.
But his greatest attributes go beyond the numbers and being able to play multiple positions. Pierce\u2019s toughness and winning pedigree can also be measured by how he plays and how much he wins.
Pierce helped lead the Hilltoppers, who went 16-1 this past season, to an unblemished summer that included going unbeaten at both the Riverside-Brookfield Shootout and Ridgewood Shootout. He was instrumental in helping lead the Illinois Wolves to an Under Armour Association title.
Now he will join a Princeton program that went to the NCAA Tournament in 2017 and is coming off a 14-13 season a year ago.
But his immediate goal is to win two state championships as a senior at Glenbard West \u2013\u2013 in basketball and golf.
Pierce, a two-time all-conference golfer in the West Suburban Silver, was part of a IHSA fifth-place state finish as a sophomore. This year the Hilltoppers have advanced to the IHSA State Finals this weekend after Monday\u2019s qualifying sectional round.
The two-sport star believes golf has impacted his play on the basketball court in a positive way.
\u201cI definitely think my mental game has improved a ton in basketball because of golf,\u201d Pierce points out. \u201cI just feel like when you are out on the course, you are in your own bubble, not talking to many people, competing in a different way. I think it\u2019s teaching me patience and how to stay focused, especially when you aren\u2019t playing the greatest. You stay focused and make the most of that moment.\u201d
Pierce is ready for a big moment, whether it\u2019s on the green this weekend or with a game on the line next March in state tournament play.
\u201cI\u2019m hoping to be put in that situation,\u201d Pierce said with a laugh about the possibility of a pressure-packed putt or shot. \u201cIt would be pretty cool to have a putt on the line to win a state championship. I think it\u2019s similar to shooting that free-throw with the game on the line.\u201d<\/p>\n
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