Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Irish Scouting 2014 Forward Isaac Copeland Isaac Copeland was welcomed back to his hometown of Raleigh, N.C., by a host of coaches from some of the nation's top college basketball programs Dec. 28-29. The junior's Crozet (Va.) Miller School squad competed at the Holiday Invitational, where the forward averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds. Copeland, who was evaluated by Notre Dame assistant coach Anthony Solomon at an open gym in the fall, was studied by coaches from nearby North Carolina State, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Duke, as well as the Fighting Irish and Cincinnati, over the final weekend of 2012. The 6-9, 200-pounder played his first three seasons of prep ball at Raleigh's Ravenscroft High, but his first junior season was washed out because of a fractured growth plate in his left knee. Scheduled to graduate at the age of 17, Copeland re-classified and transferred to Miller, a boarding school in Crozet, Va. A strong summer AAU season with Garner Road shot him up to No. 34 nationally in the junior class according to 247Sports. The four-star prospect is listed as the No. 8 small forward in the country and the top player in the state of Virginia. Notre Dame and Copeland are still feeling each other out. "Before that [open gym in the fall], I had no clue that they were interested," Copeland said in late December. "After the open gym, they let me know. They came to a couple of my games this past weekend, so I know now." Florida State and Georgetown have shown the most interest, offering scholarships along with schools like Boston College, North Carolina State, St. Joseph's, Virginia, West Virginia and Miami. The increased attention is a welcomed surprise to Copeland, who didn't know what this year would be like coming off an injury. "I just kept working hard and came off the injury pretty well," he said. "A lot of good things have been happening for me in a short span of time. Copeland is rated by 247Sports as a four-star prospect, the top player in Virginia, the No. 8 small forward nationally and the No. 34 overall prospect in the junior class. Photo courtesy Isaac Copeland My injury wasn't as severe. Usually you have to have surgery, but mine wasn't bad enough to need surgery. It still held me back for a while." The move to Miller — which has produced Division I players at programs such as Kansas, Providence, Maryland and Georgetown — kills two birds with one stone. Copeland wanted to make sure his body and mind were ready for the college level with an extra year to grow and mature, as well as develop into a go-to guy. "I didn't really want to graduate at age 17 because I'd be kind of be behind maturity-wise," he explained. "At the college level, I wouldn't be physically ready. I just wanted to go to Miller and get physically ready to play. They have a pretty good reputation.