This just keeps staying strange.

The mysterious AAU coach who asked Herb Pope to check out a private high school in Florida is now talking.

Also, Pope’s AAU coach said Pope has opened up his recruitment and is no longer verbally committed to Pitt. Pope committed to the Panthers as a sophomore.

“He wants to explore all his options, including high school and college,” said J.O. Stright, who coaches Pope on the Pittsburgh JOTS.

Stright, who speaks with Pope regularly, said Pope has not made a decision where he will attend high school.

“My recommendation is that he needs to go to a private school with a good academic program,” Stright said. “He needs academic help. He thinks he’s good enough to make the NBA someday. But he has to go to college for a year to do that. He could really benefit from a private school.”

He wants to explore his options for high school? Now? Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t school start for most in the next week or even on Monday? How much exploring can he be doing at this point?

I know he’s a huge talent, and teams will be falling over themselves to try and get him (or in Pitt’s case, re-snare him). Still, the multiple high schools were a red flag before, the fact that it continues does not encourage. Far too often it seems these kids just start bouncing from school to school (just page down for some examples) without knowing what they actually want. It seems they are listening to too many voices trying to do and please everyone.

UPDATE: According to this story, Pope is back in and at Aliquippa, but he is reopening his college recruitment.

But Pope, a 6-foot-9 forward who is one of the most sought-after prep players in the nation, said from his home in Aliquippa on Thursday night that those reports were false.

“I’m home right now and I’m staying in Aliquippa,” Pope said.

Arlington Country Day coach Rex Morgan, who led the school to a Florida state title last season, told the Florida Times-Union that Pope was registered at the private school and was attending classes, an assertion Pope denies.

“I was just down there to explore my options, but I never enrolled.”
…
While Pope confirmed his return to Aliquippa, he did say, however, that he is reconsidering the verbal commitment he made to attend the University of Pittsburgh earlier this year.

“I decided I want to keep my options open,” Pope said. “There are still some things I want to explore.”

Double-edged sword.