Canzano: Jordan Pope all in -- for the time being
Star guard weighs future at Oregon State.
LAS VEGAS — Jordan Pope wasn’t anywhere near a sportsbook when the final minutes of his sophomore season melted away on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder about the odds he’ll be in an Oregon State uniform next season.
Pope stood outside the OSU locker room, leaning against a wall after a 67-57 loss to UCLA in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. He’d scored 16 points and was left to wrap his head around where things went wrong.
“Some guys maybe not buying in,” Pope told me. “Or guys trying to do their own thing. Or really — production. Some games we didn’t have guys hitting for us and at this level, you’ve got to perform every single night.”
Last summer, Pope was approached by agents and brokers who wanted to put together NIL deals for a player who made the Pac-12’s All-Freshman team. He refused to enter the transfer portal, choosing to stay loyal to coach Wayne Tinkle, the only high major coach who offered him a scholarship out of Prolific Prep.