Pope comments on top three

Parker High School in Birmingham, Ala., is poised to take on Athens High School and Richard Hendrix tomorrow night in the Sweet 16 round of the state playoffs. Parker's success may very well hinge on the play of their smooth shooting wing player Cordell Pope. The 6-foot-5, 170-pound Pope, who is also the No. 145 ranked player in the class of 2006, commented on his top three schools to Rivals.com.

"My top three schools are Georgetown, Cincinnati and Connecticut," said Pope. "I don't have any offers yet, but I'm getting interest from all three of them."

Averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds per game this year, Pope would like to major in Business and is impressed with Georgetown's Business Program.

"I like the way Georgetown plays," he said. "Plus, they are a good academic school with a good Business Program."

With Cincinnati an Connecticut, Pope is impressed with the coaching and the style of play of both schools.

"I like the Cincinnati coaching staff and their style of play," he said. "With Connecticut, I like the way they push the ball. Plus, they are always well coached."

Pope will once again play for the Birmingham Raptors on the summer circuit. With a long wing span and a smooth stroke with deep range, Pope is a dangerous threat on the wing to any defense. In need of more strength and quickness, Pope can be a liability on the defensive end and on the boards. The potential is there, however, for him to develop into a very good high major prospects if he gets physically and mentally tougher.

"I definitely need to work on my defense," he said. "I also need to get stronger and work on my footspeed."