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An N.C. State men’s basketball player has an opportunity to continue his career in the professional ranks.
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The Houston Rockets signed the Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland to a two-way contract.
Copeland is listed at 6-foot-6, and it’s rare to have a point guard of his size. Even when he makes mistakes, NBA experts say he could develop in the G-League.
In his lone year with the Wolfpack, Copeland endeared himself to fans and the media with his fun personality and toughness. He earned All-ACC Third Team honors for his contributions this past season.
He played two seasons at Syracuse, and played one season at McNeese State under coach Will Wade before following Wade to N.C. State.
Wade, on multiple occasions, described Copeland as a cockroach.
“He’s hard to kill,” Wade said after the team’s win over Ole Miss in December. “Every time you write him off, or every time you let him, he just comes back and comes back. He keeps coming. He’s got an unbelievable level of persistence to him.”
Copeland averaged 13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game at N.C. State. The combo guard shot career bests from the field (49.4%) and from 3-point range (49.4%). He finished with six 20-point games.
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Copeland was one of the most improved 3-point shooters in the nation, increasing his efficiency by more than 24.3% from the 2024-25 season to last year. It was roughly 19.5% better than the previous three seasons combined.
The Philadelphia native was among the top passers in the nation. Despite N.C. State’s early exit from the ACC and NCAA Tournaments, Copeland still finished the season with 222 assists, which led the ACC and was No. 11 in the country. His 6.5 assists per game also led the conference and ranked No. 12 in Division I. The senior finished with a 42.1% assist rate, according to KenPom.
Copeland’s floor vision led to 22 games with at least six assists, including nine in a row. His best game of the season took place on Feb. 2, when the Wolfpack upset SMU, 84-83. Copeland scored seven points but dished out 16 assists without a turnover.
N.C. State was 16-6 when Copeland had at least six assists and 8-1 when he recorded nine assists or more. “He’s probably playing at an All-Conference level right now. He’s a lot to handle,” former Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said after N.C. State’s win over the Orange in January. “A 6-6 guard that can move, wiggle, see over defenses, see over traps. You try to force him into different places, and he’s used to that. He’s the main guy on the scouting report.”
He struggled at times with decision-making and ball control. Copeland finished the year with a 20.1% turnover rate, per KenPom, and 96 total turnovers. N.C. State lost five of the 11 games when Copeland coughed up possession at least four times.
Copeland was also one of the team’s tougher defenders. He led the Wolfpack with 61 steals, ranking fourth in the ACC and No. 55 nationally. According to KenPom, Copeland had a 3.6% steal percentage. The team was 7-3 when he picked off opposing teams at least three times in a game.
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