Nebraska Sees Two Players Test 2018 NBA Draft Waters

On Tuesday, Nebraska announced that two of its players would be testing the 2018 NBA Draft waters in the coming months without hiring an agent. These two were Isaac Copeland and James Palmer. Both saw their first action as Huskers this season.

During the course of this season, Copeland and Palmer made major contributions for the Huskers as the team returned to the postseason for the first time since 2014. Nebraska fell short of the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday, but still had a successful season.

Copeland originally transferred from Georgetown and averaged 12.8 points and 6.1 rebounds this season in 33 games. He was particularly important down the stretch, as he scored double-digits in nine of the team’s final 11 games of the season.

And Palmer also made some significant contributions for the Huskers. Like Copeland, he transferred in from another program. Palmer spent two seasons at Miami (FL) and sat out the 2016-’17 season due to NCAA rules. During this season, Palmer averaged an impressive 17.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

There’s little debating that the loss of either of these players would have massive ramifications on Nebraska and the team’s hopes next season. The two were first and second on the roster in win shares last season and were arguably the team’s most gifted talents.

Simply put, there is no easy solution to replace players like that.

Given these circumstances, fans will have to hold on to their seats over the next few weeks. Neither appears on NBADraft.net’s latest mock 2018 NBA Draft, but a lot could change in the coming weeks and months. Still, that may imply the two will return.

The deadline for the two to withdraw their names and return to school is May 30, 2018.