Quadir Copeland on Facing His Former Team: “It’s personal, It’s gonna be a show”

NC State guard Quadir Copeland will have a little extra motivation tonight when the Wolfpack host Syracuse at 7 p.m. inside the Lenovo Center.

The senior guard spent the first two seasons of his college career with the Orange before transferring in search of a larger role. In 52 games at Syracuse, Copeland started just once, never fully carving out a consistent spot in the rotation.

Despite the limited opportunities, Copeland had his moments against NC State. During his sophomore season, Syracuse faced the Wolfpack three times. The Orange swept the two regular-season meetings before NC State knocked them out in the ACC Tournament. In the second regular-season matchup, Copeland torched the Wolfpack for 25 points and eight rebounds, shooting an efficient 10-of-13 from the floor in the Lenovo Center.

That ACC Tournament loss, however, proved to be a turning point for NC State. The Wolfpack went on to win three more games in Washington, D.C., capturing their first ACC Championship since 1987.

After the season, Copeland entered the transfer portal in search of a more defined role. That opportunity came at McNeese State under head coach Will Wade. Wade saw something Syracuse hadn’t – a true point guard.

When Wade left McNeese to become the head coach of the Wolfpack, the decision to follow was easy for Copeland.

Now in his second season running the offense, Copeland has flourished. He enters tonight averaging 14.1 points, 6.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, with his assist total ranking fourth in the ACC.

Ahead of his return matchup against Syracuse, Copeland had this to say when asked about the emotions involved.

“It’s personal, It’s gonna be a show,” Copeland told Chris Carlson of Syracuse.com. “It’s going to be a great game, great to be at home. But it’s personal for sure.”

With NC State pushing through conference play and Copeland playing some of the best basketball of his career, tonight’s matchup adds another layer of intrigue to an already important ACC showdown.