And so it continues: Pope again leaving New Mexico State

Herb Pope is leaving New Mexico State, after all.

"A decision has been made that Herb Pope will not play for the Aggies this upcoming season," NMSU coach Marvin Menzies said in a statement. "It is unfortunate things did not work out for Herb at NMSU, however, moving forward is best for all parties involved. We are building a program that will have chemistry and success, and in order to do that you must have development and continuity. We wish him well in the future both on and off the court."

This development seems to put an end to the roller-coaster ride the often-troubled Pope has given New Mexico State and its fans. Pope, a 6-foot-9 forward, asked for a release last month, visited Seton Hall and seemed destined to move back closer to his Pittsburgh-area home to deal with some undisclosed "personal" issues.

But Menzies told CBSSports.com on Friday morning that Pope had decided to return to NMSU after an attractive alternative did not materialize.

End of drama, right?

Wrong.

Menzies has now announced Pope will in fact leave.

And though it remains unclear where he'll land, sources have told CBSSports.com that Seton Hall and Duquesne are the two schools that have shown the most interest in the sophomore who averaged 11.1 points last season while playing 16 games after finally being cleared by the NCAA in midseason.

MNSU was 9-10 before Pope joined the team, 12-4 with him in the lineup.