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The Nebraska Cornhuskers got some great news earlier this week as the NCAA announced that transfer Isaac Copeland will be eligible immediately for the team heading into next season. Given how the last few months have gone for Nebraska, that’s welcome news for the coaches and fans.
Copeland saw a mixed tenure during his time with Georgetown, prior to transferring to Nebraska. He played in 33 games in each of his first two seasons, but only played in seven games as a junior. There, he received a medical redshirt before opted to transfer.
During his time in Georgetown, Copeland averaged 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He played major minutes for the Hoyas in 2014-’15 when the team made the NCAA Tournament and saw even more time as a sophomore, although Georgetown regressed during Copeland’s second season.
There’s little debating that this is significant news for Nebraska. While Tim Miles got off to a great start in Lincoln, things have regressed significantly. The Huskers went 12-19 last season and figured to be even weaker this season. Adding an immediate starter like Copeland will go a long way toward turning that tide.
The biggest thing that Copeland will add to the lineup is a scorer to go alongside Glynn Watson. With the loss of Tai Webster, there are some serious questions about how Nebraska will create offense this season. Copeland was a great player inside the arc for the Hoyas and should be able to bring much of that production to Nebraska.
However, the one thing Husker fans will have to keep in mind is that Copeland will not solve the team’s biggest problem, which is three-point shooting. Nebraska was 306th in three-point shooting last season and desperately needs to improve there. Unfortunately, Copeland only averaged 29.1 percent from deep with Georgetown.
Nebraska still has quite a few questions about its roster heading into next season, even with this addition. However, Copeland is still the kind of player that can work his way into the starting lineup for the Huskers from day one. And that alone should get fans excited about what’s to come for this season.