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Jordan Pope Explains Why He Chose Texas Longhorns Over Texas A&M Aggies

The Texas A&M Aggies nearly landed transfer guard Jordan Pope before he ultimately chose the Texas Longhorns.
Zach Dimmitt|
Jordan Pope on his visit to Texas A&M
Jordan Pope on his visit to Texas A&M | @JamieShaw5 - X

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The Texas Longhorns got the best of the Texas A&M Aggies on the men's basketball recruiting trail this offseason in the race for Oregon State Beavers transfer guard Jordan Pope.

Pope took official visits to both College Station and Austin before cutting his list down to Texas and Texas A&M. He ultimately committed to the Longhorns in April, joining Rodney Terry instead of Buzz Williams.

Texas A&M Aggies on SI asked Pope in September about what that process was like.

"Both teams had a high interest in me," Pope said. "Both teams provided a great pitch in terms of how I might fit or work with the team. So from that standpoint, that's what drew my interest. And then obviously the coaching staff from here and there, I likeed a lot. The visit was great, but ultimately, I thought (Texas) was the better place."

Pope was then asked what ultimately gave the Longhorns the edge over the Aggies, and his answer might surprise some.

"The fans," Pope said. "The fans showed a little more love. And then just the vibe I got from the coaching staff and players. Everything was great on my A&M visit, so it's all love to those guys but, from the moment I was here, it felt like it was the right place to be."

Pope made his Texas debut in Monday's loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes and struggled to find a rhythm, finishing with five points on 2 of 8 shooting to go along with two rebounds and two assists.

Pope and the Longhorns will host Houston Christian on Friday while the Aggies will play Texas A&M-Commerce in their home opener.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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