Top Performers for NC State During the ACC Tournament

RALEIGH — NC State's trip to Charlotte for the 2026 ACC Tournament wasn't long, but it was productive. The Wolfpack got a win in the second round over Pittsburgh before battling its new nemesis, the Virginia Cavaliers, for 40 minutes, coming up painfully short in the quarterfinals and bowing out of the tournament. However, it proved it could compete with one of the league's best.

While the Wolfpack waits for its NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday, the players who performed well at the ACC Tournament continue to build on that momentum. A trio of Wolfpack stars shined brightly in the two games at the Spectrum Center. Who were they?

Paul McNeil

Sophomore guard Paul McNeil filled it up during the Wolfpack's two-game run in Charlotte. McNeil's goal is always simple: to make shots. He made nine 3-pointers between the win over Pittsburgh and the loss to Virginia, scoring a team-high 26 points in the latter. He was one of the only reliable offensive options in the quarterfinal matchup, rising over the Cavalier defense repeatedly to keep the Pack in the fight.

He became the fourth player in program history with over 100 triples in a single season and needs just four more makes to pass DJ Horne for the program record in one year. If McNeil can ride the confident shooting he showed in Charlotte into the NCAA Tournament, the Wolfpack might be in better shape than many anticipated.

Quadir Copeland

Before beating Pittsburgh, senior guard Quadir Copeland played in two ACC Tournaments without earning a victory as a member of the Syracuse Orange. His opportunity for redemption came when he returned to the league with coach Will Wade from McNeese State. After earning Third-Team All-ACC honors, Copeland backed things up in Charlotte with some more impressive play.

The senior racked up 24 points and nine assists against the Panthers before struggling to produce as much against the Cavaliers. While he scored nine points in the quarterfinal, in large part because of Virginia's paint presence, Copeland brought an edge on the defensive end and quarterbacked his team on that end of the court as much as possible, keeping the Wolfpack alive late in the game with tremendous effort.

Ven-Allen Lubin

NC State's undersized senior big man Ven-Allen Lubin went to war for his team in the team's pair of games at the ACC Tournament. Lubin put together a machine-like performance against the physical big men of Pittsburgh, scoring 18 points and hauling in five rebounds. He didn't have the same success from the field in the quarterfinals, but still scored 14 points and collected 10 rebounds.

The most impressive and important part of Lubin's ACC Tournament outings was his improved free-throw shooting. The senior nailed all 16 of his attempts from the charity stripe, signaling massive improvement from the last month of the regular season. In a close NCAA Tournament game, that could be critical for the Wolfpack.