RALEIGH — The transfer portal has turned many former teammates into rivals across college basketball. NC State has a handful of players dealing with this, including guard Quadir Copeland.
Copeland joined the Wolfpack with his head coach, Will Wade, after their run with McNeese State a season ago. However, before the guard linked up with Wade, he began his career at Syracuse, an ACC rival of the Pack. Copeland wasn’t the only Central New York transplant in the Triangle, as Maliq Brown also made the move from the cold winters of Syracuse to become a member of the Duke program.
Now, the pair will face off as opponents, although not until much later in the regular season. Even so, there doesn’t seem to be any lost love between the two ferocious defenders despite playing for in-state rivals.
Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) reacts after a play against the Houston Cougars during the first half in the semifinals of the men’s Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
While Copeland wasn’t among the contingent of players who joined Wade in Charlotte for ACC Tipoff, his former teammate went with Duke head coach Jon Scheyer to the event to speak with the media. When asked if he had any good stories about his old teammate, Brown cracked a smile.
“Man, that’s a crazy question…,” Brown said. “One I can remember… It was an early morning workout, like 6 A.M., and I think he had his sweatpants on backwards, but he didn’t realize until I told him.”
Brown and Copeland spent two seasons together in Central New York. They began their collegiate careers under longtime coach Jim Boeheim and remained with the Orange in the first season under Adrian Autry.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys guard Quadir Copeland (11) reacts after losing in a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Both players proved themselves to be tenacious defensive stalwarts. Despite their development, they both needed to play for different coaches to show their true talents. Wade allowed Copeland to play like himself at McNeese in the 2024-25 season, which can be chaotic, according to his old teammate.
“It’s definitely fun and crazy at the same time because you never know what move he can do,” Brown said. “Literally … Some Wizard stuff, but that’s all good stuff. The energy that he brings is something that gives a lot of people on the court more juice.”
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys guard Quadir Copeland (11) reacts after a play during the second half of a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the McNeese State Cowboys at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Both players greatly benefited from the change of scenery. Brown became Scheyer’s defensive anchor and happily played without needing touches on a team filled with serious offensive firepower, including future NBA first overall draft pick Cooper Flagg. He suffered an injury near the end of the season, but returned for the NCAA Tournament to help the Blue Devils reach the Final Four.
Wade unleashed Copeland as his pest and instigator. He grew as a distributor as well, averaging a career-high 4.5 assists per game along with his 9.2 points per game. Now, he’s become a translator for some of the NC State players trying to learn how to play for Wade. His coach was happy to bring him along for the new chapter in Raleigh.
“He’s matured quite a bit. I’ve been very pleased. There’s a reason we wanted to bring him with us from McNeese,” Wade said at ACC Tipoff. “He’s somebody who can help set the tone. He can help translate sometimes what I’m saying to the guys. Like, yeah, he’s saying this, but he really means this. I’ve been very pleased with his growth and maturity. He’s going to have a huge impact on our team this year.”
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