How desperate is Bobby Gonzalez at Seton Hall? This desperate.
Herb Pope has been granted a release from New Mexico State and is considering a transfer.
I think I’ll have more thoughts on this subject later, like on Friday.
But either way, it’s gonna be tough on second-year coach Marvin Menzies if he loses his most-talented player less than three months before the season. Pope averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2007-08. But the most telling stat was that New Mexico State went 9-10 before Pope joined the team and 12-4 with him in the lineup.
For what it’s worth, Pope has already visited Seton Hall.
That will be fun for Seton Hall fans to spin. Talent, but a lot — a hell of a lot – of baggage.
UPDATE: Should this be a shock? Pope isn’t going anywhere. Apparently he wanted to get the NCAA to give him a waiver to play right away before any transfer. The NCAA doesn’t do that. You have to transfer first, then apply for the waiver. So, rather than risk denial, he’s staying (apparently and for now). Duquesne was also considered by Pope.
A team in trouble, a la Pitt in the 90s, takes players they know are risks in the hopes that they don’t get burned. Pitt is past the need to recruit those type of players.
Sara, knowing what we know now, why would you still wish we landed him? Obviously, he was given a lot of bad advice and given little to no direction in his life, but nonetheless, sometimes it’s not worth the nightmare.
I’m not anti-Pope, but moreso anti-headache.
No one here denies Pitt and Dixon remained interested in Pope.
In my opinion, longer than he should have. I think most Pitt fans, though, soured on him far earlier. Whether it was because he was a great talent right in the backyard or not.
Something I made clear many times. Starting 2 years ago.
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Pope has great talent, but he has shown poor judgment. I feel for the person and hope he achieves well, but that’s separate from what I want for Pitt and Pitt basketball.
At this point, I am undecided on him. I don’t follow New Mexico State Basketball nor do I live in that state, so I don’t know how he is anymore. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t want the kid to be reassessed by us. In college athletics you can’t hold a grudge on an 18 year old kid because he decided to play in another sandbox. Though, you can’t be completely to blame if you hate the way that person got there.
McCoy was also a kid that was supposed to bring baggage and look at this MAN now. He’s the perfect teammate.
I am going to take a wait and see approach. If he wants to visit, then he should be welcomed like a student athlete. If he wants to go visit WVU and play with Huggins, then best of luck to you. You know that Huggins has to be salivating right now.
I DO think it’s funny how Pitt fans like to re-write history and act like Dixon didn’t want Pope. Pitt wanted Pope the entire time, even as other schools were bailing out of his recruitment. Personally, I wish the Panthers HAD landed him.