so back to seton hall it is.....
http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_10359118?source=most_viewedLAS CRUCES — Herb Pope confirmed late Monday that he is taking his services to Seton Hall.
"I am going to Seton Hall," said Pope, the day after New Mexico State University had announced that they had parted ways with the 6-foot-9 sophomore forward from Aliquippa, Pa.
Pope was on the Seton Hall campus last week. Since NMSU granted him the opportunity to seek another school, Pope said he also received interest from Duquesne, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Robert Morris and West Virginia. But it was Seton Hall that had an available scholarship and Pope said the other pieces fit as well.
"I have family matters back home and I wanted to get closer to the east coast," Pope said. "I am a father and I want to get closer to my daughter because I don't want her to go through the same things that I went through."
Foster homes were a part of Pope's life that he didn't want to share with his daughter. He is also close to his younger brother and sister in Aliquippa.
"I don't want them to go through foster care and endure some of the things that I had to," Pope said. "I'm a patriarch of my family, and whether I wanted to or not, I have excelled at that role."
Pope, who was a plus-3.0 student in one year at NMSU, said basketball
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is a minor part of his decision to leave Las Cruces.
"It really isn't about basketball," he said. "It's always been about my family. I am trying to better myself and I think I have grown socially and academically. If I can get a degree, I can make it anywhere."
Pope said he made his decision in the last two days. He said he hopes to receive a waiver from the NCAA in order to play immediately.
"My hope is that it goes through, but it's up to the NCAA," Pope said. "I'm prepared to sit out this year if that's what it takes. I'm not the same person as my days in high school and I'm looking forward to moving on with my career."
Pope also addressed his former institution, particularly NMSU athletics director McKinley Boston, his former teammates and coaching staff and Aggies fans.
"I want to say that I'm really going to miss everyone out there," Pope said. "I felt like the team is going in the right direction and is already great with or without me. I made the decision that I had to, not that I wanted to make. It was a chance to be near my family so it was a no brainer.
"I want to make it very clear that Dr. Boston allowed me to do so many things and accepted me and he gave me an opportunity to play in front of the most fanatical fans that I have ever seen at the Pan Am. I just want to thank everyone there who supported me."