"COPELAND SIGNS WITH MEN’S BASKETBALL"

"Zach Copeland, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound sophomore guard from the City College of San Francisco has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to join the Illinois State men's basketball team, ISU head coach Dan Muller announced Wednesday. Copeland will begin his Redbird career as a junior in 2017-18, with two years of eligibility remaining.

"We are excited to welcome Zach Copeland into the Redbird basketball program," Muller said. "Zach is a big-time offensive player who is a threat at all times on the court. He is a lights-out shooter, a terrific finisher and will only get better. The thing I like most about Zach is his competitiveness. He competes on the defensive end and loves to take big shots. Coach Justin Labagh did a great job with Zach the past two years, and we can't wait to get him here and continue developing him. Zach will be a fun and exciting player for Redbird fans to watch over the next two years."

Copeland averaged 18.7 points per game while connecting on 103-of-216 (47.7 percent) shots from beyond the arc and 169-of-344 (49.1 percent) from the field as a sophomore at the City College of San Francisco. The Oakland, California, native shot 156-for-181 (86.2 percent) at the free throw line and averaged 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game while starting 30-of-32 contests. Copeland recorded double-digit scoring in 30 out of 32 games, including 12 contests with 30 or more points. He netted a season-high 36 points versus Las Positas College (Jan. 18).

As a senior, Copeland helped lead the City College of San Francisco to the Coast-North Conference regular-season title with an 11-1 league mark and a 29-3 overall record. For his efforts, Copeland was named Coast-North Conference Player of the Year and the California Community Colleges Men's Basketball Coaches Association Co-Player of the Year. With the No. 1 seed in the playoffs at stake and the Rams tied with Ohlone with less than three seconds remaining, Copeland found open space off of a screen and nailed a game-winning three-point shot (Feb. 17). CCSF advanced to the CCCAA Championships Semifinal.

As a freshman, Copeland led the Rams to the 2016 California Community College Athletic Association Men's Basketball Championship by scoring a game-high 18 points in the title game against Saddleback College. During the 2015-16 season, Copeland averaged 11.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

Copeland graduated from Berkeley (California) High School where he helped the Yellowjackets to a state championship in 2015."