Jordan Pope picks Texas basketball. What that means for the Longhorns.

Texas basketball completed its backcourt rebuild with Wednesday’s commitment from former Oregon State guard Jordan Pope.

Now, about those forwards.

Pope, a 6-foot-2 sophomore with two years of eligibility remaining, picked Texas over rival Texas A&M after recently visiting both campuses. A true point guard, he’ll join a backcourt rotation of incoming McDonald’s All-American freshman Tre Johnson, Indiana State transfer Julian Larry and returner Chendall Weaver.

Texas coach Rodney Terry has also signed a pair of versatile wings in 6-8 Jayson Kent from Indiana State and 6-6 Tramon Mark from Arkansas. Kent has the skill set and rebounding prowess to also play at the power forward spot in a small lineup, while the high-scoring Mark can rotate in at the shooting-guard spot.

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How will Pope fit in the rotation?

He’ll likely slide into a role as the primary point guard, based on his first two collegiate seasons. He’s started 63 of a possible 64 games at the point both years for the Beavers, but he’s more of a shoot-first floor leader who averaged a team-high 17.6 points with 3.4 assists in the 2023-24 campaign. He’s also a career 37.4% shooter from 3-point range as well as a 86.1% shooter from the foul line. However, Pope only averages 2.8 free throws a game in his career.

The 6-3 Larry can also play the point, as he proved in four seasons as a starter with the Sycamores. Last season, he averaged a career-high 11 points and 4.8 assists for a squad that went 32-7, won the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title and reached the finals of the NIT. He’s shot better than 52% from the floor in each of the past two seasons and better than 45% from 3-point range in that same span. He’s also a tenacious perimeter defender who earned all-conference defensive honors last season, which gives Terry some options at the point.

The 6-6 Johnson, a Dallas-area native, showed the ability to score at all three levels in high school and will likely have a green light to shoot the moment he steps on campus this summer. The 6-3 Weaver provides energy, defense and lots of highlights, as evident by his play late in the season and during the NCAA Tournament.

Now what about those forwards?

That leaves the team with returners Kadin Shedrick and Ze’Rik Onyema as the only players in the paint that have significant collegiate experience. The 6-11 Shedrick came on late in the year after undergoing offseason surgeries on both shoulder while averaging 7.7 point and three rebounds along with a team-high 35 blocks in 17.2 minutes a game. He looks like a likely starter and a staple in next season’s rotation.

Onyema, a 6-8 senior, is more of a question mark. After playing for Terry at UTEP, he transferred to Texas in the offseason but averaged just 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.1 minutes a game. He didn’t play more than six minutes in a game in the final two months of the season, but Terry and his staff hope his first season at Texas helped him adapt to Power Five basketball.

What’s next for Texas?

Counting a more efficient Onyema, the Longhorns now have eight players ready for the rotation unless incoming freshman forward Nic Codie and seldom-used sophomore Devon Pryor earn playing time. However, Terry wants more size and more shooting, as evident by a couple of players that the Longhorns are pursuing in the portal.

Brandon Garrison earned freshman All-Big 12 honors this past season at Oklahoma State after he averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, and the 6-11, 245-pounder visited Austin this past weekend and watched the Orange-White football scrimmage from the sideline. However, he’s also visited Oklahoma and reportedly has a visit planned for Arkansas.

Texas is also waiting on a decision by forward Rytis Petraitis, a 67, 210-pound small forward from Arlington who visited Austin earlier this month. Petraitis averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this past season for Air Force.

Texas needs the use the transfer portal to revamp its roster after losing four players to graduation and five other scholarship players to the portal, including two-years starters in guard Tyrese Hunter and forward Dillon Mitchell.

Players have until April 30 to submit their names to the portal but can sign with a school anytime before the fall semester.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Jordan Pope picks Texas basketball over Texas A&M