Nebraska Basketball: Isaac Copeland to Transfer from Georgetown

Nebraska basketball may have suffered its first Big Ten loss at the hands of Northwestern on Sunday, but the Big Red got some news that should make Nebrasketball fans smile.

Former five-star recruit and Top-30 player in the country in the 2014 class Issac Copeland is heading to Lincoln and he may be able to make an immediate impact next season.

Due to needing surgery on his back, medical hardship waivers will be filed which would put Copeland on the court for the Huskers for 2017-2018. At the very least, he’ll have 1½ seasons left starting at the end of the first semester of next season.

With the injury situation, the Nebraska basketball staff looks to ask the NCAA to consider this year as Copeland’s redshirt/transfer year due to his back issues.

A 6’9″ forward, he brings immediate size and the ability to nail baskets from downtown to the Huskers’ lineup. During his time at Georgetown (73 games), he averaged a 43 percent field goal shot percentage while knocking down 29 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

He was fairly reliable at the free throw line putting 79 percent through at the charity stripe and averaged five rebounds per contest.

Copeland decided that he needed a change of scenery about a month ago and once current Husker assistant coach Kenya Hunter who spent some time with the Hoyas found out, phone calls were made.

“We’ve had a relationship since way back when I was in high school,’’ Copeland told The Omaha World-Herald on Monday. “When coach Hunter knew I was leaving, he was one of the first people to call my parents.’’

Regardless of when the Huskers get him on the court, Copeland looks to add a spark that Nebraska hasn’t seen in a long time.