Nebraska's Two Leading Scorers Make NBA Draft Decision
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
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Nebraska basketball nearly made the NCAA Tournament this season. The Huskers could be losing a pair of stars ahead of 2018-19 though.
Juniors James Palmer Jr. and Isaac Copeland Jr., a 6-foot-6 guard and 6-foot-9 forward, respectively, are both tossing their hats in the NBA Draft ring. Neither has hired an agent, but both will test the waters.
Palmer and Copeland were the two leading scorers for Tim Miles's team this season. From The Daily Nebraskan:
Nebraska basketball junior forward Isaac Copeland and junior guard James Palmer Jr. announced their decision to declare for the 2018 NBA draft on Tuesday afternoon. The two athletes both decided to forgo hiring agents in order to maintain their college eligibility, according to a press release from Nebraska basketball.
Both players will have the opportunity to attend team workouts starting in April and are eligible to compete at the NBA Draft Combine in May if selected. Copeland and Palmer Jr. have until May 30, which is 10 days after the combine, to decide if they want to continue with the draft process or return to play at the collegiate level.
To his credit, Miles is handling things the right way. He supports them giving the NBA Draft Combine a shot.
“I’m excited for James and Isaac to go through this process,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said in the press release. “It will be great for them to test themselves against some of the best basketball players in the world.”
Both Husker stars just finished their first years of eligibility with the team after transferring in. Copeland joined the team after three seasons at Georgetown, while Palmer came over after two years playing at Miami.
Isaac Copeland and James Palmer nearly took Nebraska to the NCAA Tournament this season.
Palmer averaged a team-high 17.2 points and chipped in 4.4 rebounds and three assists. Copeland had 12.9 points per game, and was second on the team with 6.1 boards.
Nebraska finished the year 22-11, after bowing out following one NIT game. The Huskers were 13-5 in Big Ten play, but an extremely weak non-conference strength of schedule is the likely culprit for Miles's team being left out of the Big Dance.
