Over the last few seasons, NC State men’s basketball has faced a plethora of ‘villains’, whether it was Armando Bacot and RJ Davis at UNC-Chapel Hill or Kyle Filipowski at Duke. But, Tobacco Road rivalries aside, none irritated Pack fans more in a single game quite like a now-familiar trash-talker.
In 2023, NC State hosted Syracuse in a midweek ACC match just weeks before the postseason. The Wolfpack fell victim to guard Chris Bell, who scored 26 points in the first half, but it was a backup guard who stole the show — Quadir Copeland.
The then-sophomore scored a career-high 25 points, but it was his words that vilified him. Unlike other players that have dominated in Lenovo Center, Copeland responded to the boos and let the crowd hear it all night, bantering with Wolfpack fans and irking the crowd.
It was a night that lived in infamy; the day the Wolfpack got owned by a ‘random’ backup.
But in full circle fashion, Copeland ended up at McNeese State, where he connected with then-head coach Will Wade, and made such an impression on his coach that he was brought along to Raleigh, the same place he became a villain at just a year prior.
“He’s the kind of dude that you get mad at him when you’re coaching against him,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “But you want him on your team.”
McKay couldn’t have put it any better. Now a starter at NC State, Copeland quickly turned the hearts of the red-and-white, becoming a fan favorite amongst the masses.
“Just to see all the fans on my side, it was amazing,” Copeland said after NC State’s exhibition match against South Carolina. “Seeing all that red on my side. … That shows the true definition of the Wolfpack, made me feel at home. I’m comfortable now. It’s no more bad blood.”
In the midst of senior forward Darrion Williams’ decline in play — the same player who was supposed to be the Pack’s No. 1 option — Copeland has taken the reins of what would otherwise be a lost Wolfpack team, becoming the main playmaker and one of the top scoring options, averaging 16.5 points and nearly seven assists over the last seven games — all while shooting 58% from the field and 55% from beyond the arc this season.
Need an example? Look no further than Sunday. While Williams shot 0-for-8 from the field, Copeland took over with 16 points, seven rebounds and nine assists on 75% shooting. Even when the Pack’s No. 1 option couldn’t get a bucket, Copeland led the Pack to its first Power Four win of the season.
“We’d be in real trouble without him,” Wade said. “He’s been better and more than I could have ever thought when we brought him. Quite frankly, he’s playing a role that I didn’t envision when we brought him with us from McNeese.”
Copeland isn’t just a threat on the offensive end; he’s a lockdown defender. Copeland averages 1.3 steals per game — the most of a player averaging 20 minutes or more — and is constantly assigned to the opponent’s top option. With a six-foot-six frame, Copeland can guard any position, forcing teams to scheme around his defense.
Even with all the skills and statistics that he brings to the table, the most important thing that Copeland provides is his energy. Whether it’s giving a pregame speech, guiding the players on the court or cheering from the bench, Copeland keeps morale high and supports his teammates through thick and thin, even willing to get a technical foul in their defense — as seen in the Wolfpack’s matchup against UNC-Greensboro.
“[Copeland’s] energy is something you don’t get on a daily basis,” said sophomore guard Paul McNeil Jr. “But he brings it every day to practice. It doesn’t matter if it’s practice, shootaround, walkthrough, he’s always serious, always bringing energy and always keeping us focused.”
Copeland still plays with the same edge that he did in his time at Syracuse — he’s the same fiery, trash-talking bucket-getter that scored 25 points in the Wolfpack’s house. But this time, instead of burying the Wolfpack, it’s the very thing keeping the red-and-white afloat.
“I’m just a product of my environment,” Copeland said. “I just bring it to the court every time. I try to pick up my teammates and get them with the same fire as me. Once we get rolling and we all together and we all on the same page, it’s hard to stop.”
