LINCOLN — Nebraska senior Isaac Copeland is out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL during Nebraska’s loss to Ohio State, a Nebraska official confirmed.
Copeland was called for traveling on the second possession of the second half, but went up for a dunk after the play was whistled dead. He fell awkwardly and was helped off the court. He went to the locker room for a short time, then returned to the bench. He did not play the rest of the game.
Copeland’s college career, which began at Georgetown, is now over.
“Husker nation, thank you for welcoming me with open arms,” Copeland wrote in a Twitter post. “Unfortunately my time here as a player was cut short due to injury. Keep me in your prayers and keep supporting our team.”
Copeland transferred to Nebraska in January 2017 after two-plus seasons at Georgetown. He underwent surgery on a herniated disk a month later and was awarded a medical redshirt.
Two months before the 2017-18 season, the NCAA declared Copeland would be immediately eligible instead of having to sit out the first-semester games due to transfer rules. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention that season, finishing second on the team in scoring (12.9), rebounding (6.1) and blocks (1.0).
Copeland entered Saturday having started every game this season, ranking second on the team with 14.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He had eight points and one rebound before coming out of Saturday’s game.
“I am broken-hearted for Isaac,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said in a press release. “He is a young man who had every option available to him last spring, but wanted to come back and help lead the Huskers back to the NCAA tournament and beyond. He has meant so much to our program and has been a valued leader in the Husker basketball family since arriving on campus two years ago. In typical Isaac fashion, he was the most vocal player in the huddle even after his injury, encouraging his teammates and showing leadership even though he was unable to play.”
