Which Wolfpack Men's Basketball Player Shined Most Last Week?

RALEIGH — Another successful week for NC State men's basketball put the Wolfpack in sole possession of third place in the ACC. The team secured strong double-digit wins at home over Syracuse and on the road in Winston-Salem over Wake Forest, continuing its undefeated start in conference play.

Several members of the team stuck out throughout the week, including senior forward Darrion Williams and sophomore guard Paul McNeil for their scoring explosions. However, senior point guard Quadir Copeland played the team's most pivotal role throughout both wins, directing the offense and distributing the ball well enough to his teammates that they were able to light up the scoring column.

How Copeland ran the show for the Wolfpack

Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; (EDITOR'S NOTE: Image created using a radial filter) NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) looks on before the first half of the game against the Syracuse Orange at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

In Copeland's reunion against Syracuse, the school where he started his collegiate career, he held his emotions in check and orchestrated one of his strongest offensive performances of the season. The savvy guard took advantage of numerous mismatches in the Syracuse defense and scored 19 points, shooting 5-of-9 from the field and making all nine of his free-throw attempts.

However, his distribution was where he really affected the game. Copeland tallied nine assists in the win, with Williams and senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin being the primary beneficiaries of his impressive passing throughout the game. That duo combined for 41 of the Wolfpack's 88 points. Copeland also tallied four steals against his old program, but he proved he was the point guard the Orange didn't allow him to be, most importantly.

There goes that man 💥 pic.twitter.com/VKCOxoKs6H
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) January 29, 2026

In Saturday's 96-78 win over Wake Forest, Copeland didn't have the same scoring punch that he did against the Orange. However, the point guard did his job to near perfection, racking up 10 assists, many of which went the direction of McNeil, who scored 28 points. Copeland had complete control of the offense and played smart despite foul trouble in the second half.

The 6-foot-6 guard finished with a team-best +25 in the plus/minus category, 10 points better than the next closest player on the roster. The more important part of his performance on Saturday, at least according to his coach, was the fact that he turned the ball over just once. In the Syracuse win, he gave the ball away four times, hurting the overall strength of his showing in Wade's eyes. Things were much cleaner against the Demon Deacons.

Copeland's surge is exactly what the Wolfpack needs from its point guard, as the team is embarking on a daunting trek through the league schedule in which it will face most of the top teams in the standings over the next three weeks.

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