Top juco recruit Zach Copeland ineligible for ISU

[braves16]

https://twitter.com/Pg_Kindred/status/901191323310583808

[tornado]

...Copeland despite pretty eye-popping numbers had very few programs interested or offering -
sometimes a sign there could be academic issues

seems that's what the rumors were saying...
so if ineligible then who is gonna pay his tuition??

[Da Coach]

Tough luck for Muller and the Redbirds. They needed his scoring to replace some of the huge losses they suffered with the loss of Hawkins, McIntosh, Lee, Clayton, etc.
ISU was the odds on favorite to win the MVC after the 2016-17 season ended, but all their defections and now this issue with Copeland, they will likely be picked in the middle or lower half of the MVC in the preseason poll.

Zach Copeland's academic problems must have been apparent to other D1 coaches who were recruiting him, since considering he was the junior college player of the year in California, and one of the top rated juco players in the country, he only had 2 other D1 scholarship offers.


I may be wrong, but I think there are some instances where the NCAA allows a juco transfer who has received his juco degree to transfer and receive a scholarship even if he doesn't qualify academically at his new school.

Maybe Copeland's case could be similar to what happened with Kendahl Amerson at Bradley 3 years ago. He graduated from his juco, but some of his credits did not trasnfer and thus he was ineligible to play his first season at Bradley. I believe Amerson was able to stay on scholarship that season while making up his deficiencies.

[Da Coach]

The Bloomington Pantagraph has a couple comments from Dan Muller-

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/article_75f1f767-b0f1-5904-acb0-54ef00cb8eed.html

“While I am very disappointed for Zach, this was not due to any lack of effort or desire to meet the NCAA standards,” head coach Dan Muller said. “Zach just ran into a class that was very tough for him. He is a great kid, and we are going to continue to support him going forward."

And there is no chance Copeland could play in the 2nd semester, as some ISU fans have suggested. He will need to make sufficient academic progress to regain eligibility for next season.

His five-year NCAA clock (to play four) began with the 2015-16 season, so he would still have two years of eligibility starting next season should he get his academics squared away.

[tornado]

well if he spends his whole time in the "Academic Exploration" or "University Studies" major at ISU - I guess just about anyone can pass..

[tornado]

Copeland's name is no longer on the roster page

[tornado]

the Pantagraph's Jim Benson reveals that ISU's Zach Copeland never did finish junior college or get his Associates Degree....so it is shocking that someone at ISU didn't figure that out since it must have been obvious to all the other schools that had recruited Zach because they all dropped off.

Anyway, Copeland hopes to get enough college credit at Heartland and he could apparently add his credits then get his Associates Degree.
Then he'd enroll at ISU next semester, and if he gets cleared be eligible to play in fall of 2018 - kind of a bizarre scenario but I guess Muller wants the kid badly enough.

[mvcfan]

It isn't that bizarre. He basically struggled with a class he needed. He is now hoping to get that taken care of and start practicing with the team.

[YATittle]

Zach Copeland

I thought he couldn't do anything with the team until next year. How can he practice?

[Da Coach]

If he qualifies, which requires graduating from the junior college, and being cleared by the NCAA, he could enroll as soon as the 2nd semester, and start receiving a scholarship. Once enrolled and on scholarship, he would be eligible to practice with the team.
However, the NCAA does not allow midyear transfers to play until the following year, so he could not play this season.

[YATittle]

Thanks for the explanation.

[tornado]

It isn't that bizarre. ..

well, the story is a bit vague as to where he is taking the junior college courses -

so, what's bizarre is that if he is at a local juco as some have stated, then he will have gone to junior college, then accepted a scholarship to ISU, then enrolled at ISU then went BACK TO JUNIOR COLLEGE in order to get BACK TO ISU.


Can you name a single DI player ever who has transferred TWO DIFFERENT TIMES from juco to DI?

[PurpleAceFan]

ZC had 1 class he had to complete during the summer and unfortunately he struggled with it and was not able to pass it over the summer. Good for him that he is sticking with it.

Love the comment that "they all dropped off" when he actually cancelled a recruiting visit to Nebraska when he selected ISU. I guess Nebraska just has kids show up that they are not interested in at all. Good to know. My friend in Boulder also told me at the time that the coaches there were very disappointed when ZC selected ISU.

I mean why would anybody want to go to ISU if they had any other offer.

[Da Coach]

ISU recruit Zach Copeland, who failed to qualify academically, has reportedly made up his deficiencies at Heartland Junior College, and will now enroll at ISU. He will be eligible to practice with the team for the 2nd semester, but he cannot play until the start of the 2018-19 season.

[tornado]

That same article in the Bloomington newspaper also says that Matt Chastain who transferred from Loyola is also finally able to participate in practice.
He apparently hasn't practiced at all in over a year.

He injured his knee while at Loyola in their 3rd game of the season last year (11/14/16)
LINK