Hubert Davis Makes Interesting Quadir Copeland Comparison Before Wolfpack Matchup

RALEIGH — Quadir Copeland's ascension to becoming one of the nation's best point guards is a major piece in NC State's turnaround in Will Wade's first season as the head coach of the program. The savvy senior point guard dominated throughout the early part of February, earning ACC Player of the Week honors for a 26-assist week. Now, he's caught the attention of the Pack's biggest rival.

All eyes in the Triangle will fall on Copeland and the Wolfpack at the Lenovo Center on Tuesday, as they host their bitter rivals, the UNC Tar Heels. Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels played some of the best teams in the country during their non-conference slate, but haven't faced a player quite like Copeland to this point. When asked about the Wolfpack guard on Monday, Davis offered an interesting comparison.

Memories of a national champion

Feb 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

"He reminds me a little bit of Theo Pinson," Davis said, when asked if he's seen a player capable of bullying smaller guards out of the backcourt. "Theo was 6-6, 6-7 and he really was like a facilitator. Theo was a big guard that could do a number of things. He could handle. He could pass. He could score around the basket. He could shoot."

Pinson played four seasons for Roy Williams, Davis' predecessor at UNC, while Davis was one of the top assistants for the Tar Heels. During his time there, he helped Williams and Davis bring a national championship trophy back to Chapel Hill in 2017, playing stout defense and bringing a playmaking element to the court that some of UNC's other players struggled to offer.

"Quadir reminds me a lot of (Pinson) with his ability to make plays, not only for himself, but for his teammates," Davis said. "Whether it's on the perimeter, or passes around the basket, he's got a good understanding of when to pass and when to shoot, takes good shots and obviously does a good job of taking care of the basketball. He's really a unique and really good player."

Whether it's a fair comparison or not is up to interpretation. Pinson was a solid role player for the Tar Heels, but never averaged more than 10.3 points while playing 29.7 minutes as a senior. Copeland is in the midst of a season in which he's scoring a career-best 13.8 points, while ranking 11th in the nation with 6.8 assists per game. He will be looking to prove himself against Davis and the Tar Heels on Tuesday.

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