Jordan Pope suffered a twisted ankle in the Texas Longhorns' 74-68 win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. With a Sweet 16 matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers scheduled on Thursday, Pope receives a crucial update about his potential status for the contest.
Reports indicate that Pope, who is a senior, is considered a game-time decision for Texas when they take on Purdue, according to Kirk Bohls of the Houston Chronicle. It's said that Pope was a limited participant in the Longhorns' 90-minute workout on Wednesday.
“Source says Jordan Pope was at least on the floor here at SAP Center during Texas' 90-minute workout that just ended, but did very little,” said Bohls. “Gametime decision, but will be stunned if Pope doesn't try to go.”
Despite the ankle injury, Pope served as one of the main contributors in the Longhorns' win over Gonzaga. He ended the contest playing 32 minutes, recording 17 points, one rebound, and three assists while shooting 38.8% from the field and hitting three out of his eight three-point attempts.
If Jordan Pope doesn't play against Purdue on Thursday, it could be a huge disadvantage for Texas in the backcourt. Especially considering Pope helps so much with scoring. In 35 games played this season, the Longhorns' guard is averaging 13.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per contest. He also owns a 39.9% field goal percentage while shooting 36.9% from beyond the three-point line.
With the game not tipping off until 7:10 p.m. EST, head coach Sean Miller will have nearly all day to make a final decision on Jordan Pope's status. If he is unable to play, we should expect forward Nic Codie and guard Chendall Weaver to be given extra minutes against Purdue.
