Sean Miller's Texas Longhorns men's basketball roster is starting to take shape. In addition to adding Dailyn Swain, Miller's best player at Xavier, two key Longhorns have declared that they will be at Texas next season. Shortly after Tramon Mark announced he would return for his sixth and final year of college basketball, guard Jordan Pope followed suit.
After two years at Oregon State, Pope transferred to Texas last year and made an instant impact. In his first year as a Longhorn, the California native averaged 11.0 points and 2.0 rebounds a game. He became one of Texas' most reliable players while starting 32 of 35 games.
One thing that stood out the most about Pope was his ability to rise to the occasion. During the SEC tournament, he averaged 13.6 points in the three games in Nashville. That included a 13-point and eight-rebound effort in a double-overtime win over Texas A&M. Without his play, they may not have been able to face Texas A&M in the first place.
— jordan pope 💕 (@jpope0) April 3, 2025
Over the last few days, the Longhorns roster has started to take shape. Last week, they added Xavier's Daily Swain from the transfer portal. He is coming off a career year and already has experience playing under Sean Miller. For the Longhorns, the goal next year will be making a deep national title run which has been on Pope's mind.
"When I seen everyone start cheering when our name popped up, I almost teared up a little bit," Pope said on Selection Sunday. "This is what I dreamed for, this is what I came to Texas for. That was part of my decision in leaving (Oregon State). I wanted to be part of March Madness and get my chance to be on that stage. And now that we have the opportunity, I'm just grateful."
In his last year of eligibility, Pope will again be a player to whom the Longhorns turn. During the 2024-2025 campaign, he performed well in high-pressure situations and made good decisions with the ball in his hands. For a Longhorns team that will welcome a new coach and various new players, that consistency will be vital in their chase for a championship.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Jordan pope return
