Texas A&M Hoops Lands Ex Longhorns Guard From Transfer Portal

Texas A&M's latest transfer portal addition won't need much of an introduction to the Lone Star Showdown. In fact, Jordan Pope has already played against the Aggies six times.

The former Texas guard has committed to Texas A&M for his fifth season of college basketball, giving Bucky McMillan another experienced piece as the Aggies prepare for his second season in College Station.

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And Pope certainly knows what it's like to play in this rivalry.

The 6-foot-2 guard spent the past two seasons at Texas after beginning his college career with two seasons at Oregon State. He averaged 13.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game last season, finishing fourth on the Longhorns in scoring and second in minutes played.

Some of his best work came against his new team.

Pope scored 17 points in both meetings with Texas A&M last season. The Aggies won the first matchup, 74-70, in Austin before Texas returned the favor with a 76-70 win in College Station.

Those weren't Pope's first opportunities to face Texas A&M, either.

Including one meeting during his time at Oregon State, Pope has played against the Aggies six times during his college career, averaging 13.2 points, three rebounds and 2.3 assists in those matchups.

Now he'll be playing for them.

Pope's college career initially appeared to be over after four seasons, but recent court proceedings opened the door for him to return for another year.

Pope filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in July after the organization's new eligibility model excluded athletes who had already exhausted their fourth season. A class-action injunction out of Colorado later granted another season of eligibility to athletes from the 2022 recruiting class who had just completed their fourth year.

Pope had already entered the transfer portal in April while the window remained open, making him eligible to make the move.

And Texas A&M had room for him.

Pope said in his farewell message to Texas that he would have loved to return to Austin, but the timing of the court cases left the Longhorns with a full roster by the time another season became possible.

The Aggies had one roster spot remaining before Pope's commitment.

Now McMillan has filled it with a player who spent the past two seasons on the other side of one of Texas A&M's biggest rivalries.

It won't take long for Pope to return to Austin, either.

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Texas A&M will visit Texas on either Feb. 16 or 17 before the Longhorns travel to College Station for the regular-season finale on March 6.

Pope spent the past two seasons trying to beat the Aggies — now he'll get two chances to beat his former team.