Copeland returning for senior year
Nebraska basketball got some more very good news on Sunday, as forward Isaac Copeland announced that he would withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to the Huskers for his senior season.
The transfer forward from Georgetown ranked second on the team last year with 12.9 points per game while also ranking second with 6.1 rebounds and 33 total blocks.
“I’m excited to come back,” Copeland said. “I felt it was the right thing for me to do to come back with this team. We’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of experience coming back, and I think we’re going to do a lot of big things next year.
“ I didn’t want to end my time at Nebraska without making an NCAA tournament.”
Copeland said the majority of the feedback he got from NBA personnel was him being a projected late second round pick.
Another big reason why he chose to return to the Huskers was that he wanted to refine some specific skills in order to make himself a better NBA commodity.
Even though the 23-year-old already earned his degree from UNL earlier this month, head coach Tim Miles said Copeland decided after much thought that returning to Nebraska was his best option.
“You have to commend Isaac with how he handled this entire process,” Miles said. “He has always been very professional and thoughtful in everything he does, and this was a well-thought-out decision by him. This is obviously great for the Huskers and I think great for him.”
Copeland’s announcement comes less than two days after All-Big Ten guard James Palmer Jr. decided he too would return for his senior season in 2018-19.
With essentially a full roster back from a team that won 22 games and went 13-5 in the Big Ten last season, Miles said the future looks brighter than ever for what next year could hold.
“We believe we can make a real run for the postseason and even make a run for a Big Ten title, there’s no doubt about it,” Miles said. “I think these guys feel a little slighted with how last season went. They went 22-10 and 13-5 in the Big Ten, but the last two games seemed to diminish that for a lot of people.
“These guys have a lot to prove, and I am excited to watch them all come back and prove people wrong.