Retour
The Texas A&M Aggies put together a talented roster during the offseason ahead of the second year under head coach Bucky McMillan. However, like many programs around the country, Texas A&M faced some notable eligibility questions for some of the team's new players.
This started with former G League guard Bryson Warren, who was unable to win his eligibility battle despite spending multiple weeks in College Station with what he had hoped would be his teammates for the 2026-27 season.
Similar concerns have surrounded former Texas guard Jordan Pope, who joined Texas A&M after the Longhorns didn't have a roster spot open for his return. Fortunately, he was granted a preliminary injunction by a California judge prior to the start of the season. This paved the way for him to suit up for Texas A&M, and it's already paying off for the Aggies.
Amid the team's 3-0 start, Pope is tied with PJ Haggerty as Texas A&M's leading scorer (18.0 ppg) after a 19-point performance on Tuesday against Louisiana Monroe,
However, the NCAA isn't done fighting back when it comes to the eligibility of Pope and many players around the country.
According to Luke Evangelist of TexAgs, the NCAA will appeal the California ruling that granted Pope elibgility. That court date is expected to come before the season ends, which, though unlikely, presents the chance that Pope would be unable to finish the season if the NCAA wins its appeal.
But for now, Pope is on the court for Texas A&M and producing at a high level. This shouldn't come as a suprise to Aggie fans, who saw him hit some big shots against Texas A&M during his time at Texas.
Worrying about any potential eligibility issues for Pope or Rylan Griffen can be put to the side for now. Texas A&M will keep its focus on the schedule ahead, which includes the team's first high-major matchup of the season on Thursday against Oklahoma State.
After that, the Aggies will host Southeastern Louisiana, but then comes the toughest stretch of Texas A&M's non-conference schedule. The Aggies will play four straight non-con games against high-major teams, starting with a visit to TCU on Thursday, Nov. 19.
Texas A&M will then head to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Aggies will face Xavier and Marquette before traveling back to the U.S. for a home game against Stanford.
If the Aggies find success during this stretch, expect Pope to be a major reason why.