Scotty Pippen Jr. Finally Comes Home

Former Vandy basketball star Scotty Pippen Jr.  was back on campus this weekend for his youth basketball camp.  It was his first trip back to Nashville since leaving the program after his junior season to pursue a career in the NBA.   From the sounds of it, it won’t be his last.

“It’s my first time back to Vanderbilt, long time coming.  It’s my second home.  It’s like family to me.  I plan to come back more summers” said the former two-time First Team All-SEC point guard. 

Being the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, one might think Scotty’s success came easily for him.  The truth is, the younger Pippen has been the underdog his entire career who has had to grind for everything he has accomplished. 

The grind began in high school, when Pippen transferred to powerhouse Sierra Canyon High School in California for his senior year.  There, he played alongside blue chip recruits and future NBA players like Marvin Bagley III, Kenyon Martin Jr., and Cassius Stanley.  Still, Pippen wasn’t as highly rated as a recruit – a 3-star with a modest offer list that included Washington State, Colorado State, San Francisco, UC Santa Barbara, and Hofstra.  As we know, he ultimately committed to Vandy – but Bryce Drew, who was the coach at the time, was fired before Pippen arrived on campus.  He decided to stick to his commitment to the Commodores and new coach Jerry Stackhouse. 

The rest is history.  The Stackhouse era didn’t have many bright spots, but Pippen and his development was the most significant highlight. 

“When I was a freshman coming here, I wasn’t one of the best players on the team.  But I stuck with it, and I started that year, and the next year I averaged 20 points, and so on.”

Pippen continued to work hard to turn himself into one of the best point guards in the country and improve his NBA stock.  Yet, just like in high school, he was still getting overlooked. 

“Even though I never really had any NBA buzz, I knew I would end up catching it.  After my freshman year, guys I thought I was better than got drafted.  After my sophomore year, guys I was better than got drafted.  Ultimately, my junior year I went undrafted as well and I just knew it was a marathon the more work I put in the more confident I was in myself that I knew I belong in the NBA.”

After his name wasn’t called on draft night, Pippen was undeterred.  He signed a two-way contract with the LA Lakers his first professional season.  He continued to hone his craft in the G-League while appearing in just 6 games for the Lakers. 

Los Angeles waived him the following season, before Pippen signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.  It was there he would finally get his shot, and he wouldn’t blow it.

“My second year I was playing in the G-League and all of a sudden I get a call that I’m starting for the Grizzlies in a week.  My mentality going into year for, just be ready for anything and everything.”

Pippen played 21 games with 16 starts for Memphis in his second season and proved he belonged, averaging 12.9 points, and 4.7 assists.  In his third season in the NBA, he appeared in 79 games for the Grizzlies with 21 starts, while averaging 9.9 points and 4.4 assists.

Now Pippen is heading into his fourth season having established himself as a high-level NBA backup point guard and a capable starter to fill when oft-injured superstar Ja Morant is out.  He also had the last laugh on many of the players that were drafted over him. 

“Guys that got drafted the year I was undrafted, some of those guys are overseas and not playing anymore. In my freshman and sophomore year guys I thought I was better than I passed them.”

Although Pippen has been away, he has kept an eye on Vandy and the college game from afar.  He marveled at the updated facilities — the Huber Center – as well as the school’s financial commitment to players to keep up with the SEC arms race. 

“The facility is a lot different than when I was here.  The players also get a lot more too, I’m a little jealous about that” he joked. 

While Pippen left long before coach Mark Byington was hired, he is huge fan of the new coach and what he has accomplished in just a short time. 

“Give coach some praise too, I feel like he’s changed the program, he’s fully turned it around and brought that spark back to Vanderbilt basketball.”

Pippen’s success is a huge positive for Vanderbilt and will only help the brand.  Credit Byington not only for his success on the court, but also for having the foresight to embrace a high-profile alum who could be a terrific ambassador for the program.  And the good news is fans don’t have to travel too far if they want to watch him in the pros.

“It’s been a long journey for me being underrecruited and coming to Vanderbilt a skinny freshman to leaving here as a man to undrafted to the NBA being able to come back here a more decorated player means a lot.”