Copeland Becoming the Engine Driving NC State Basketball
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RALEIGH — Liberty coach Ritchie McKay sat deep inside the Lenovo Center after his Flames suffered a 40-point loss at the hands of a fiery NC State Wolfpack squad. The veteran coach knew his team might be in trouble when it signed on to play Will Wade's group, but he didn't expect it to be like that. As for who did the damage, one name came to mind: senior guard Quadir Copeland.
"He's their engine and Will knows it," McKay said.
Driving the Wolfpack
Copeland stands 6-foot-6, looking more like a wing threat. However, he is arguably the most skilled player on the Wolfpack from a ball-handling and distributing standpoint, playing more like an old-school point guard than a new-age wing with his size. Against the Flames, he posted a line of 11 points, seven assists and seven rebounds, tracking for a triple-double before the game got out of hand.
"Put the ball in his hand and he can create for himself or a teammate," McKay said. "He's unselfish. He knows how to play. He sees the game... Unbelievably good defensively, great hands and he's tough, physical. He's the kind of dude that you get mad at when you're coaching against him, but you want him on your team."
Throughout the Wolfpack's disappointing stretch over the last two weeks, Copeland emerged as a surprising offensive threat. His ability to drive through contact and glide through the air makes him a tough cover for any defense. With some of his teammates, most notably Darrion Williams, struggling, he stepped up. However, a more aggressive Copeland comes with its drawbacks, at least according to Wade.
"A lot of times when (Copeland's) making all the decisions, we're in trouble," Wade said. "In those four games, how many of them have we won? We're 2-2. The whole goal is to win, not for (Copeland) to play great. We want Q to play great for us to win, but the whole point is to win."
Riding the interstate
In the four-game stretch Wade referenced, Copeland averaged 18.5 points, 6.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds, with a significantly higher usage rate in the two losses. His coach used an interesting analogy when describing the way the Wolfpack needs both Copeland and Williams to co-exist on the court.
"He can get off the rails here quick. So you've got to make sure he stays in his lane," Wade said of Copeland. "... A lot of times when Q is in the fast lane, Darrion is in the slow lane. We've got to have both of them in the same lane, and we've got to divert the other guys to the side streets."
Q ➡️ DWill. pic.twitter.com/VMuleJGIzm
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) December 11, 2025
The two players have very different styles of play. Copeland is quick, jittery even, always looking to create angles with his speed and length, while drawing contact. He thrives in chaos. Williams is deliberate, waiting patiently for his moments to strike without ever forcing things too much. He dictates the pace. At times, the difference between the two can be jarring.
"The problem we've had is with that (Copeland), we've had about four other guys on the interstate. We’ve had a traffic jam," Wade said.
The win over Liberty cleared some of the congestion the team showed during its difficult stretch. The pair combined for 10 assists, often looking for one another, as well as senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin, a frequent recipient of their oft-brilliant passes.
Finding the edge
Q making the circus shot look easy. pic.twitter.com/2NAlaqH7Ru
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) December 11, 2025
In Maui, Copeland agreed with Wade that the team needed to find an edge he expected it to play with. While his coach compared him to a volcano before the season, the veteran guard showed control of his emotions through his strong stretch. While his constant chirping and flexes into the camera after getting fouled get under the skin of the opposition, it's all reasonable. As for the team's improvement in matching his energy, Copeland wasn't surprised after the Liberty win.
"Just seeing it all put together and seeing what we can do, hopefully that's just going to make the guys want to keep doing the same things to win," he said.
Because of his passing ability and willingness to share the ball, Copeland's teammates trust him. As his assist numbers surged over the last week, that trust became clearer and clearer to him. His leadership is a large reason why.
"As long as they catch it, we good. They make it easy. I just build confidence in all my guys," he said. "I feel like every shot they shoot, no matter how it looks, no matter how (Wade) thinks, I think it's a good shot."
Copeland will try to extend his stellar run of play, while also riding parallel to Williams on the interstate, in the Wolfpack's biggest game to date, a Saturday showdown against No. 19 Kansas in the Lenovo Center. For Copeland, the task is fairly simple.
"The goal is to protect the crib at all costs."
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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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