Quadir Copeland Bullies UNC in Statement Win
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RALEIGH — NC State guard Quadir Copeland rarely lacks intensity, but there was a different edge to the senior during the 82-58 victory over No. 16 North Carolina on Tuesday. Throughout the Wolfpack's dominant win, Copeland set the tone, both mentally and physically, acting as a schoolyard bully against an undermanned and overmatched Tar Heels squad.
With Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar, essentially the entire Tar Heel frontcourt, sidelined, Copeland went to town offensively, scoring 20 points, while also adding seven assists without a turnover. The emotion of the night never got to Copeland, but he walked the tightrope between going over the top and enforcing the Wolfpack's will to perfection against UNC, earning in-state bragging rights.
Finding the mismatches
QUADIR COPELAND IS FEELING IT 💪
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) February 18, 2026
📺 @espn x @PackMensBball pic.twitter.com/KRiEvETWvi
It was evident early on that North Carolina simply had no answer for Copeland's size at the guard position. At 6-foot-6, he took every opportunity to back down Tar Heel defenders in NC State's porch action offense, which is predicated on either Copeland or Darrion Williams playing in the high post with their back to the basket, with the others filling the lanes around them.
"I just felt like their guards were small, so we just found the mismatches and picked on it the whole game and it worked," Copeland said. "... That's usually our best game plan -- finding the mismatches and just exposing them -- because you can't keep them out there for too long. ... We just executed it."
UNC coach Hubert Davis knew early that his team didn't have the competitive edge it needed to keep pace with the Wolfpack, let alone find a way to win in the rocking Lenovo Center. Copeland's fire in the early part of the game was a major piece in snatching the Tar Heels' will to win.
"I felt like he controlled the game. His talent out there is real," Davis said. "He's a 6-6, 6-7 guard, is able to handle the basketball. Really makes great decisions when he has the ball, whether it's for himself or for his teammates because of his length and his size. ... I thought he was really good tonight and he's been that way pretty much all year."
Letting them know
For NC State coach Will Wade, the mindset when coaching Copeland is based on a phrase he came up with before the season: You'd rather tell him 'whoa' than 'go.' Knowing his team needed some juice after such a shocking finish in the loss to Miami, Wade let Copeland off the proverbial leash, antics and all. That strategy paid off better than it had at any point earlier in the season.
"He gives everybody a spirit. He gives everybody a lot of confidence," Wade said. "He's one of those guys that you love if he plays for you, you don't really like him very much if he doesn't play for you. Sometimes I don't like him and he does play for me. For the most part... My love is unconditional. He gives us some life. ... It's just about channeling that in the right way."
Listen to that crowd pop 🔊 pic.twitter.com/g1qUFU4yoT
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) February 18, 2026
Despite being in his first season as a member of the Wolfpack, Copeland completely embraced the energy and 'blood feud' feeling of the NC State-UNC rivalry. Recent history tilted toward the Tar Heels heavily, but the fiery guard heeded the advice of returners like Jordan Snell and Paul McNeil to fuel his night.
That fire led to several viral moments. Copeland hit several UNC defenders with his signature 'too small' gesture of celebration after buckets, prompting numerous crowd pops. The antics, or bullying even, started before the game, with the Wolfpack guard standing at mid-court during warmups and talking smack to the Tar Heels as they prepared for the game. It all culminated in the postgame festivities, however.
FINAL: NC State 82, No.16 Carolina 58
— Charlie Gribble (@Charlie_Grib) February 18, 2026
A comfortable win for the Wolfpack against a hampered Carolina squad. Four NC State players finished in double figures led by Quadir Copeland who finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. pic.twitter.com/xforRphgip
Copeland and the missing Wilson, the young and confident star of the Tar Heels, exchanged words in the handshake line after the game. When asked what he said to Wilson that sparked some back-and-forth chatter, the Pack's enforcer wasted no time answering.
"I just told him to lace them up next time," he said.
The Wolfpack, powered by a confident Copeland, played itself back into contention for a top-four seed in the ACC Tournament with the win over the diminished Tar Heels. On a night where the Pack couldn't afford to leave any doubt, Copeland didn't allow that.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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