Sunnyside native and college basketball sharp-shooter Ethan Copeland is headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference – but he almost was a Zag.

Copeland, who ranked in the top 20 nationally in 3-pointers made per game and shooting percentage beyond the arc this past winter at Stetson, on Tuesday committed to play for Virginia Tech and coach Mike Young.

The Blacksburg, Va., community was a big reason for his pledge to the Hokies.

“With me being married, it was definitely important to be in a family atmosphere,” he said. “Blacksburg has that community.”

Copeland’s basketball journey took him to Utah for his senior year when the Washington high school season was delayed and then abbreviated. After a two-year mission in which he matured and added muscle to his frame, he stayed in the Beehive State for a season at both Utah State Eastern and Salt Lake Community College before heading to Stetson.

Along the way, he honed his craft.

“There's something I’ve learned, ‘What do you do that gets you on the court,’” the 6-foot-2 guard said. “Not being the quickest and the tallest, I have to do something that makes me stand out.”

After hitting the transfer portal, his long-distance shooting drew the attention of other schools, including Gonzaga, which came calling last month.

And Copeland nearly ended up in Spokane.

“It was almost a done deal, and my family prayed about it,” he said. “It was about as close as you can get without it getting done.”

When Gonzaga commit and German star point guard Jack Kayil entered and then stayed in the draft, the soon-to-be Pac-12 school had other needs, and its recruitment of him waned, he said.

“I was bummed about, but am happy to be going to Virginia Tech,” Copeland said.

This past season at Stetson, Copeland shot 42.9% from 3-point range, which ranked 16th in the country, and made 3.3 3s per game, good for 15th in Division I.

He led the Hatters in scoring (15.0 points per game), 3-pointers (109) and steals (50 total, 1.5 per game).

He also averaged 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.

Copeland averaged nearly 27 points per game as a junior with the Grizzlies, before transferring to Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah, when the pandemic derailed the sports world.

He held Sunnyside’s single-game scoring record of 42 points with Trey Sanchez and Larry Den Boer, before Aiden Sanchez poured in 49 during a December game.