By ALEJANDRO LOPEZ & SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — When Kohl Rosario headed off to Kansas, Team CP3 needed someone to step in and fill some big shoes. Class of 2026 three-star shooting guard Ashton Pierce did just that and impacted CP3 in a big way.
At Peach Jam, the 6-foot-3 guard from North Mecklenburg (NC) averaged 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists in six games for Team CP3. He slotted right in as a much-needed floor spacer, hitting 15-of-39 (38.5%) of his shots from deep. He helped CP3 reach the quarterfinals before they fell to Team WhyNot.
“Man, it was everything just to be able to go out there and compete for everything,” Pierce told ZAGSBLOG. “Just the love of basketball, my team, and everything, it feels great to know that we still have love for each other, even though we didn’t finish out the way we wanted to. But still amazing.”
Pierce is known as someone who can score it with ease and he describes himself as a shooter and pesky defender. He’s taken other steps in his game this summer.
“Really just creating my own shot,” Pierce said. “I feel like more 15s and 16s, I was really just off the catch and shoot. So I feel like more just creating my own shot and getting to the rack more.”
Pierce’s improved offense and tenacious defense have garnered him a long list of offers over the summer.
“It’s definitely great for my recruitment because I think so far I got 19 offers,” he said. “I don’t really have a bunch of high major offers, but every coach that has reached out to me and stuff like that, I’m grateful for. But to come out for my last summer and come out and play with CP3 for Peach Jam, it felt great, just to be able to showcase what I can do in front of all these coaches.”
Most recently, Pierce has heard from Cal, ECU, Indiana, Iowa, Iona, Longwood, Mississippi State, Queens, Sacramento State, UConn, UNCG and Wake Forest. He has taken multiple unofficial visits to Wake Forest, an unofficial to Old Dominion and is planning on visiting Cal and Sacramento State in September. His offer list includes App State, Cal, Charleston, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Hampton, Iowa, Mississippi State, Queens, Sacramento State, Stetson, UNCG and Wake Forest.
Pierce broke broke down his thoughts on a couple of the programs:
Cal: “Right now, I would say Cal Berkeley’s been the main one. Really just that I fit their playstyle and stuff like that. They want to use me as a priority when l get in there, stuff like that. And the coach is really great at developing pros, so I can go in there, and if I do what I’ve got to do, I can be successful.”
Wake Forest: “Staying home, North Carolina. Being at least like an hour and a half away from home would be great. It’s not always about the, I would say like high major/mid-major to me. I just want to go somewhere I can fit at and be great.”
The shooting guard doesn’t plan on releasing a top schools list and hopes to come to an outright decision after taking his visits. Pierce’s main priority in his choice of school is fit.
“A great fit, a great coaching staff,” he said. “Somewhere where I can see myself be, and also where I can also just be myself.”
Pierce is ranked the No. 37 Shooting Guard in the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports, giving him three-star status. His favorite NBA player to watch is Tyrese Maxey and an interesting fact about Pierce is that he can play the drums.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram
Follow Alejandro Lopez on Twitter
The post Class of 2026 guard Ashton Pierce talks summer hoops, updates recruitment appeared first on Zagsblog.