Prospect Spotlight: Peyton Pope (2020)
One of the better surprises in Iowa this season has been West Marshall sophomore point guard Peyton Pope.
Currently the state’s 64th-ranked 2020, the 6-foot bucket-getter entered the rankings after averaging 10.9 points per game last season as a frosh with the Trojans.
Now, as a sophomore, he’s averaging 23 points per game through nine. He’s shooting a remarkable 61 percent from deep.
“I’d say I’m a pretty good outside shooter, and I’m good at attacking the hole and creating from teammates,” said Pope, who explained his shooting prowess in more detail.
“I would just say practicing and working on it (is what makes me so good). And taking open shots and smart shots, and just being confident in it.”
His Trojans are currently 6-3, and will be back in action this Friday against East Marshall. Pope says the goal is to just help the team in any way possible each night out.
“Things have been going good so far, I think my role is to create for teammates and score. We’ve had a couple games where we’ve stumbled, but overall we’ve been good, and we’re looking forward to get better the second half of the season,” he said.
“One of my goals is to average 25 points per game, and just do whatever I can to help the team win — and that’s about it.”
This summer, he’ll play with All Iowa Attack 16U. And after the missing the past couple of offseasons, it’s an opportunity he’s eager for.
“The last couple of years I haven’t been able to play AAU over the summer because of some surgeries I’ve had,” said Pope. “So, I’m just looking forward to getting out there in front of coaches this summer. And my goal is to play college basketball.”