College Basketball
Villanova Basketball Adds 7-Footer Braden Pierce from the NCAA Transfer Portal
Mike Lipinski has been covering Philadelphia sports since 2005. Previous stops include Section 247 Sports, My MMA News, and more. He has been a part of the Sports Talk Philly team since 2019. He is the editor of Philadelphia Phillies content, co-editor for college football covering mainly the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and dabbles in all other sports. Follow him on social media channels -Twitter & Threads- @TheMikeLipinski
All posts by Mike LipinskiPublished17 Apr 2025
Villanova Wildcats men’s basketball coach Kevin Williard has landed his big man from the NCAA transfer portal and it’s a player he’s very familiar with.
The Wildcats have secured the commitment of 7-footer Braden Pierce who will make the trip up I-95 from College Park, MD to the Main Line. A former three-star prospect out of IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL), the Woodstock, GA native joined Williard’s Maryland Terrapins for the 2023-24 season.
A redshirt his first year on campus, Pierce only appeared in five games last season before suffering a season-ending eye injury. He averaged 2.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in his limited time with the Terps. He scored a career high six-points in a 108-37 Maryland win over Canisius last November.
A former baseball player, Pierce picked up basketball later in life. On3‘s national recruiting analyst Jim Shaw praised Pierce as a player with “good hands” with consistency from the beyond the arc and a good area rebounder. His athleticism was called into question during his prep recruitment.
Pierce is the third NCAA transfer portal commit for Willard’s new look Wildcats including former Maryland teammate Malachi Palmer and former Temple standout Zion Stanford.
