Instant Reaction to NC State's Win Over Ole Miss

NC State ended the non-conference slate with a semi-neutral site game against Ole Miss. The Wolfpack, desperate for a win against another power conference opponent, attacked the Rebels with fearlessness immediately and built a cushion large enough that it outlasted Ole Miss in the 76-62 win in Greensboro.

Sophomore guard Paul McNeil led NC State with 19 points, while his senior counterpart, Quadir Copeland, added 16 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in one of his best showings.

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, get host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett's immediate reactions to the Wolfpack's penultimate game in the 2025 calendar year.

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Copeland drives the bus

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) looks down during the second half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Copeland found himself on triple-double watch through most of the second half of Sunday's matchup. He was a menace on both ends, hounding Ole Miss' overmatched guards whenever he had the opportunity, while also running the offense with great confidence on the other end of the court at the First Horizon Coliseum. However, scoring and defending aren't what drives Copeland. It's helping his teammates.

"I feel like that's what the guys try to do, just try to make the game easier for me, letting me be a big point guard," Copeland said. "It's made my game skyrocket. Without them... the things I can do wouldn't be happening."

Will Wade and Copeland have a unique relationship stemming from the fact that they came as a package to NC State this season. The coach understands what makes his veteran guard tick and also knows when to turn him loose and when to rein him in. Sunday was yet another game that proved Wade's initial assessment of Copeland incorrect.

"He's been better and more than I could have ever thought when we brought him," Wade said. "Quite frankly, he's playing a role that I didn't envision when we brought him with us from McNeese and you could argue that's part of the reason we've struggled, because he's playing a huge role, but that wasn't what I envisioned. But, give him credit."

The Q show 🍿 pic.twitter.com/OSlUDzMuME
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) December 21, 2025

With star forward Darrion Williams struggling, Copeland has stepped up in a period where NC State needed him to. As the rest of the offense, especially McNeil, rounds into form, Copeland can be the engine that drives the Wolfpack forward.

"I just think I'm just a product of my environment, and I just bring it to the court every time," Copeland said. "I just try to pick up my teammates and get them with the same fire as me and I feel like once we get rolling and we're all together, we're hard to stop."

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