NEWARK, N.J. –– Seton Hall junior forward Herb Pope says he plans to return to college for his senior season instead of trying to play professionally.
“I’m coming back, I’m coming back,” he told SNY.tv after UConn beat Seton Hall, 61-59, for their 11th straight win over the Pirates.
“I gotta recover and come back and just have a whole year of being 100 percent.”
The 6-foot-8 Pope collapsed during a workout at Walsh Gym in April. He underwent heart surgery to deal with a birth defect — an anomalous right coronary artery — that Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard said they “usually only find in an autopsy.”
Seton Hall (10-14, 4-8 Big East) is set to lose five seniors from the current roster — Jeremy Hazell, Keon Lawrence, Jamel Jackson, Eniel Polynice and Jeff Robinson — and Pope’s return would bolster the frontcourt next season.
He entered the game averaging 10.7 points and 9.1 rebounds and finished with 6 points and 5 rebounds in the loss.
“I’m not even worried about the next level,” Pope said. “I’m trying to graduate.”
Asked about how his return might impact next year’s team, he said, “I’m worried about finishing these last few games that we have.”
FREE THROWS
St. Anthony junior guard Kyle Anderson sat behind the bench. Anderson is the No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2012…Seton Hall-bound guard Aaron Cosby of Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) broke his nose last week and will return Tuesday…Seton Hall now has about 20 resumes for its athletic director vacancy, and hopes to start doing phone interviews next Friday.
