Throughout the 2025/2026 season, most of the media attention has been surrounding C Matas Vokietaitis, SF Dailyn Swain, and PG Tramon Mark. However, one of the team's lesser talked-about contributors could be a key factor in the Longhorns' SEC Tournament run this year.
Senior shooting guard Jordan Pope has been flying under the radar this season when it comes to a popularity standpoint, despite being tied with Tramon Mark for third on the team in scoring with 13.0 PPG.
JORDAN POPE TIES IT UP 🤘#HookEm | @JPope0 pic.twitter.com/hknxazNajo
— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) February 21, 2026
Though he hasn't contributed much on defense, he can carry the team on offense at times if opposing teams successfully shut down Dailyn Swain or Tramon Mark. Pope has acted as the safety valve in a few games this season when other Longhorns have had disappointing days.
Both Pope and Camden Heide have been a consistent source of three-point shooting this season, as they're currently combining to shoot 43.1% from deep. Pope's ability to score in bunches could give opposing defenses fits in the tournament this year. It's tough to defend a 4th scorer because at that point, it forces defenses to create better spacing for offenses unless the defense sits in a 3-2 zone, allowing a team to take 3's all game long.
It would cause opposing power forwards to stray away from the paint, opening advantageous scoring lanes for teammates and personnel mismatches.
Ultimately, Jordan Pope could open a lot of different doors for Texas to succeed in the conference tournament this season. He's hit quite a few big shots for the Longhorns in crucial situations this year, and if someone is going to hit that game-winning three-pointer, it'll likely be Cam Heide or Jordan Pope.