Throughout the season Quadir Copeland has shown flashes of being great. The sophomore has stepped up in a multitude of games and has been a key locker room piece. No one means more to the ‘Cuse than Copeland. He’s been the energy guy and the glue guy all season. Last night, the Philly kid played maybe his best game of the year. Copeland had a career-high 25 points in SU’s 87-83 win against NC State.
What was most important about Copeland’s game was that he was consistent from start to finish. In the first half, he had 13 points and in the second half, he had 12. In the key parts of the game, Copeland had the ball in his hand and was running the offense. It wasn’t Judah Mintz who had 15 second-half points. But Copeland was put in control.
Originally recruited as a point guard, Copeland has the vision to be a star. With his size, he can be a true matchup nightmare and his energy is unmatched. The issue with Quadir is that sometimes the energy is too much and he loses control. It can be tough to watch when that happens, but as Copeland continues to grow as a player and get older, you hope that he understands when to slow the game down.
Copeland’s three-point shooting is the one part of the game where he struggles and is a liability. He is shooting just over 20% from deep this season. If Copeland can be surrounded by consistent shooters, then his drive and kick ability can outweigh his shooting. But that is obviously not guaranteed. Maybe Copeland can become a Michael Carter Williams type player. The 9 year NBA veteran shot just 29% from three his sophomore year in Syracuse. Both are big, ferocious on defense and can drive to the hoop better than most.
Of course, all of this depends on what the roster looks like next year. But, it’s worth thinking about Copeland being the lead guard next season.
