Texas A&M’s backcourt took a major step toward becoming fully set on Tuesday, as Jordan Pope’s eligibility situation moved from temporary protection to something much more secure.
A California judge granted Pope’s preliminary injunction, giving the former Texas guard longer-term cover while the courts continue to work through Glancey vs. NCAA. Pope had already been under a temporary restraining order, but this ruling means he is cleared to play for the entire season.
There is still another hearing ahead on permanent injunctive relief, but that no longer changes anything for Texas A&M this year. By the time that hearing happens, Pope will have already gone through the season, and even if the NCAA were to prevail, judges routinely prevent punishment for schools that complied with earlier injunctive relief.
For Bucky McMillan and his staff, that matters. Pope gives the Aggies exactly the kind of guard help this roster needed: SEC experience, reliable ball-handling, and a shooting profile that can lift the offense.
He also has enough toughness to be a factor defensively. Paired with Kansas State transfer PJ Haggerty, Pope gives Texas A&M another piece capable of making “Bucky Ball” more dangerous on the offensive end.
Pope’s path to College Station is an unusual one. He arrived from Texas after a late decision on eligibility following last season, and Sean Miller has said multiple times how much he wished he could have Pope back. That context makes Pope’s addition even more notable, especially since he had a big hand in the Longhorns’ win over the Aggies late last year.
He is also not the first Texas transfer on this roster. Big man Jamie Vinson, one of the best pure centers on the team last season, previously came over from Austin as well.
Now, Texas A&M is down to one final eligibility question. Rylan Griffen has already been given a temporary restraining order, and his case for a preliminary injunction is set for an October 28 hearing, according to Luke Evangelist of TexAgs.
If Griffen joins Pope and Haggerty in being cleared, Texas A&M’s backcourt could become the kind of group that changes the ceiling of this team almost immediately.
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