UNC Basketball R J Davis has Come to Terms with Duke for $345 million to Leave the Team
RJ Davis is a gifted scorer who has been at the top of UNC basketball for three seasons under head coach Hubert Davis. However, given that the 2024 ACC Player of the Year may start his professional career, it seems like Davis has his eye on a possible successor.
Jordan Pope, a former guard for Oregon State who registered his name on the transfer portal earlier this month, has been in touch with UNC, according to a story published early on Thursday afternoon by Tobias Bass of The Athletic.
Pope is a dependable, prolific guard who played for the Beavers for his first two seasons and has started 63 of his 64 games as a Beaver. During the previous season, the 6-foot-2 player shot 37.1 percent from outside the arc and 45.1 percent from the field, averaging 17.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
With the exception of one game last season, the sophomore, who has never missed a game in his collegiate career, scored in double figures in every Beavers game. In addition, he was almost flawless at the charity stripe, going 94 for 107 for an 87.9 percent success rate.
A number of other highly competitive universities, including Arizona, Baylor, Cal, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M, Villanova, and Xavier, have reportedly expressed interest in speaking with Pope, according to Bass.
Only six positions below fellow Tar Heel target Aaron Bradshaw in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings, Jordan Pope is presently rated as the 40th best player.
Pope would be a useful acquisition for Davis and the Tar Heels in the upcoming year, given that UNC basketball lost Seth Trimble to the gateway and maybe RJ Davis to the professional ranks.