The 2023-24 college basketball season isn’t even a week expired, and there have already been shake-ups and large developments all over the country. North Carolina, besides losing a couple of pieces to the portal, has been reasonably quiet in the early stages of a long offseason. As next year’s Tar Heel roster remains largely uncertain, Hubert Davis and his staff have begun to contact a handful of players from around the country looking for new homes.
The latest news out of the transfer portal carousel in North Carolina’s terms has been contacting Oregon State guard Jordan Pope. The 6’2 sophomore led the Beavers in scoring, averaging 17.6 PPG on 45% shooting from the field. Pope also connected on 66 three-pointers at a 37% clip, being one of the top scorers in the Pac-12.
Pope, who entered the transfer portal on April 2nd, has already heard from a long list of schools, many of which are high-level, like North Carolina.The decision of RJ Davis begins a large domino effect that will eventually determine how heavily some of these transfer guards are pursued. That said, the loss of Seth Trimble opens up a spot in the backcourt regardless, and Jordan Pope would be a huge addition to fill that void.
Most of the activity has initially been focused on replacing Armando Bacot. The Tar Heels have, rightfully so, been in contact with a plethora of big men and less focused on the guards in the last couple of weeks. If RJ Davis does decide to move on, North Carolina will be in need of a score-first ball handler, and it looks like they’re already trying to get ahead of that curve.
Jordan Pope carries two years of eligibility with him and will be an impact player wherever he lands.
