Nebraska basketball received some big news Monday morning when Georgetown transfer Isaac Copeland committed to the Huskers. He was at Pinnacle Bank Arena for Nebraska’s 93-90 double-overtime win over Iowa last Thursday night, which impressed the 6-foot-9 prospect both on and off the court.
“I was surprised to see such a big crowd, especially given the time,” Copeland said. “It was over winter break and stuff so there weren’t a lot of students but everybody in the city supports the university. It was a great environment.”
It wasn’t just the environment that sold Copeland on the Huskers either. After suffering a back injury earlier this season, he wanted to find a place that would create a strong recovery plan to get him back on the court healthy.
“I like the plan they have for me in my recovery and stuff,” Copeland said. “They have some of the top facilities in the country and I think they have a really good plan for me moving forward at the university so I’m excited.”
After deciding to transfer, Copeland received offers from Nebraska, as well as his hometown North Carolina State, Arizona State, Texas and Kansas. He had a connection to the Huskers though, which is ultimately what brought him to Lincoln for a visit. Kenya Hunter, a former assistant at Georgetown who is now on Nebraska’s staff, originally recruited Copeland out of high school.
“I know Coach Hunter because he recruited me to go to Georgetown back in high school,” Copeland said. “When he made the move right after I announced I was transferring, he was one of the first people to call my parents. Once I talked to him and got up there and saw it in person, I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy. This could be really good for me in the future.’ I mean, I guess everything just came together to help me make my decision.”
As for meeting Coach Tim Miles, Copeland was instantly drawn to his laid back style. He also thought Miles’ ability to joke and laugh over an incident with a tooth made him personable and easy to be around.
“After the double-overtime game, we went to the locker room and he had just had his tooth knocked out a couple of days before by Ed (Morrow) in practice,” Copeland said. “He pulled it out because he has a fake tooth or something right now. It kind of gives you a perspective of how personable he is and how down to earth he is. He’s a laid back person that really wants to see his guys be better. Just seeing him and talking to him as much as I did on my visit kind of made me comfortable and made me realize I can get better here.”
Copeland currently has one year of eligibility remaining, but he has petitioned to the NCAA for a medical hardship waiver. If granted, he would be given an extra semester of eligibility due to his current injury.
Regardless, Copeland sees a future with Nebraska and is anxious to get healthy and back on the court. Miles told Copeland he sees a lot of potential for him with the Huskers, which is why the Raleigh, North Carolina, native is ready to get to Nebraska and start recovering.
“He just said he can help me get better and I’ll play a pretty big role on the team but I’m just ready to get back healthy and worry about that all later on,” Copeland said. “Of course we’ll have everyone coming back basically, except for Tai (Webster). It’s a very, very young team, so it’ll be the same group of guys that are all getting better and I just want to come in and help the team get to bigger places.”
Copeland plans to be in Nebraska as early as Thursday afternoon.
