Justin Pierce, a two-time All-CAA member at William & Mary, has committed to play basketball at North Carolina as a graduate transfer, he announced Thursday afternoon.

At 6-foot-7 and 202 pounds, Pierce was second on the Tribe in scoring at 14.9 points per game and led them in rebounding at 8.9 per contest this past season.

A native of Glen Ellyn, IL, Pierce was a first-team all-State in Illinois named by the Chicago Sun Times and was heavily recruited by some IVy League schools before ending up in Williamsburg, VA.

Pierce played in a prep league in the same area as Matt Mooney, whose career he followed closely, especially this past season. Mooney started out at Air Force before transferring to South Dakota and finally to Texas Tech, where as a grad student helped lead the Red Raiders to the national title game last month.

“I absolutely followed him and what he did –– not only during the March Madness run but throughout the year…,” Pierce recently told the Chicago Sun Times. “Matt Mooney did a great job of finding the right fit, where he could make an impact and play a lot,” says Pierce of Mooney. “I want to find that.”

As a junior, Pierce averaged 14.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists in 34.3 minutes per game. He shot 46.4 percent from the floor, including 32.4 percent from 3-point range for a Tribe team that finished 14-17 overall, including 10-8 in the CAA. Pierce is the first CAA player since 1992 to average 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game in a season.

he averaged 14.7 points and 8.6 rebounds as a sophomore while earning all-league honors. Played 10.7 minutes per game as a freshman in a reserve role playing in all 29 games.

Pierce scored 20 or more points seven times this past season, including a season-high of 26 in a loss to Delaware in the CAA Tournament. As a sophomore, Pierce reached the 20-point mark eight times, including twice scoring 30 or more points. His high that season was 33 points in a home win over Delaware.

“He’s the definition of versatility,” former William & Mary assistant coach (now at Elon) and former UNC guard Jonathan Holmes told the Sun Times.

“When you combine his competitive drive and work ethic with his talent and versatility, I’m not surprised at all that he’s in the position he’s now in with these great options,” added Holmes. “Justin deserves all the credit because of all the time and work he’s put in. Whatever he does, it’s done at a high level, both on and off the court.”

While it’s still a small sample size, Pierce struggled in the three games the Tribe played the last two seasons versus power conference opponents.

Pierce averaged 4.3 points on 6-for-26 shooting in the contests, which were at Virginia this past season (two points, 1-for-6 from the field), and in his sophomore year at Ohio State (four points, 2-for-8 FGs) and TCU (seven points, 3-for-12 FGs).

A source very familiar with Pierce's game says: “Justin is a fierce competitor and one of the best pound for pound rebounders I’ve ever seen. He’s a confident shooter and has the athleticism to get in the lane and finish above the rim. He’s a good passer and excels in the open floor leading the break and as a finisher. “

*Junior season game log

*Senior season game log

*Pierce's W&M Bio

*Pierce scores 30 vs. Elon