Austin Pope [/B](Class of 2013, La Jolla Prep, Cal.) is one of the best junior point guards out West, and given time, he could become the premiere leader suited for many colleges.
Pope, a 6-foot-4 point guard, has welcomed tons and tons of schools into his recruitment for the past year, but his overall game and play has finally paid off.
Last week, the junior received his first offer from the Oregon Ducks.
“It feels great to get my first offer,” he said excitedly. “I feel like I have really accomplished something, but my coaches say there will be many more.”
UCLA, Washington, Washington State, San Diego State, Harvard, Miami, USC, Gonzaga, St. John’s, Iowa State, Memphis, Baylor, West Virginia, Kansas, and others have expressed preliminary interest as well.
However, Pope has one dream school that few kids his age will argue against.
“My dream school is Kentucky. Coach [John] Calipari produces great point guards and NBA players. I think my style really fits their system.”
With such high standards and expectations on himself, Pope has familiarized himself with a very popular former Cat.
“I compare myself to Rajon Rondo and Kendall Marshall,” he explained. “I get everybody involved and put my teammates in good positions. I’m not a shot-first type guy. I would rather people judge me by wins over points.”
Nevertheless, Pope is still confident he can become a scoring threat at the next level. That will be one goal for his AAU season.
“I’m not sure what team I’m playing for in AAU yet, but I want to become more of a scorer and asserting myself on defense better.”
While the top-100 guard has only been with La Jolla Prep for one season, the competition has already assisted Pope in getting more publicity. Several schools have given him a quality amount of attention.
“I would say Miami, USC, Washington, Gonzaga, and Harvard are showing the most interest right now. They stay in-touch the most.”
Pope has recently visited USC and UCLA, but he also will visit Oregon soon; from there, he wants to see San Diego State and Washington, Washington State, and Gonzaga.
With his lone offer, do not expect a decision in the near future for Pope. But like his coaches said, there will be many more coming his way.
Who will yield his services?
We are not sure yet, but there will be some factors into Pope’s chosen school.
“I want a family feeling and a great atmosphere. I would also like to have a coach and school that produces NBA players. In the end, that’s where I want to get.”
