New Mexico State forward Herb Pope is as troubled as he is talented.
Popes saga has been well-documented. He grew up hard. Pope was abandoned by his parents and was in and out of foster care in Aliquippa, Pa. He has had his share of run-ins with the law. He was in an altercation at a party in his hometown and subsequently was shot four times, and somehow survived. The young man who shot him was charged with attempted murder.
Pope chose New Mexico State partly to escape western Pennsylvania. The Aggies fought to ensure his eligibility. Last season, when he was finally cleared to play, Pope averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds. The Aggies were 9-10 without him in the lineup and 12-4 with him.
Now he may want to leave, and it looks as if his destination of choice would be Seton Hall. Granted, the Pirates South Orange, N.J., campus isnt especially close to Aliquippa, but its a lot closer than Las Cruces, N.M. Seton Hall also plays in the Big East with Pitt, the school 30 miles up the road from Aliquippa to which Pope first committed as a high school sophomore.
Should Pope stay with the Aggies, or cast his lot with the Pirates? We asked Rivals.com basketball writers Bob McClellan and Andrew Skwara for their takes.
McCLELLANS PICK: STAY
Herb Pope seems to get in a lot of trouble when hes home. He was nearly murdered in Aliquippa. He visited in December and got cited for DUI.
Im not saying New Mexico State is going to make him a saint, but its a safer place for him than the Big East, where trouble will be a lot easier to find in places such as Pittsburgh, New York and Washington, D.C. The Aggies visit locales such as Boise, Idaho; Fresno, Calif.; and Logan, Utah.
Published reports say that if Pope were to transfer, he would seek a waiver to be eligible immediately. Thats fine and dandy, but what if the NCAA doesnt grant it? Anybody like Popes chances of staying out of trouble back on the East Coast with a year away from basketball?
Pope isnt going to see his senior year, anyway. The goal is the NBA, and he has to realize hes a lot closer to it if he plays a full season for the Aggies and tears up the WAC than he would be anywhere else. And forget the notion that NMSU will have its feelings hurt: It will welcome him back if he should decide to return.
SKWARAS PICK: GO
Moving back east certainly makes things more dangerous for Pope. But it seems to me that he now has no choice but to cut his ties with New Mexico State.
As soon as Pope set foot on the Seton Hall campus, it was clear he wanted out. You dont visit another school unless you want to leave. He knows it and, worse yet, all his NMSU coaches and teammates do, too. Im sure they have heard the news. You think they want to play with a guy who doesnt want to play with them?
Perhaps Pope has a good reason for switching schools. New Mexico State had a different coach (Reggie Theus left to be the Sacramento Kings coach) when he signed with the Aggies. The Aggies also believe he is dealing with some family issues.
But the reason doesnt matter at this point. Pope already has tipped his hand. The best move would be to find a school where he truly wants to be, a place where hell be motivated to play ball and go to class. Maybe, just maybe, that is the key to avoiding trouble.
