Syracuse Orange men's basketball got stung by the reality of today's collegiate climate, losing two-year guard Quadir Copeland to the transfer portal.
Copeland was easily the most improved Syracuse player from last season to this season.
The way he attacked the rim, his calculated risks on defense in key moments, his tenacity overall, and his passion for the game will all be missed by the Orange.
Copeland told me, following the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament exit after Syracuse's 77-74 loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in their first game in that year's tournament, that he did not come to Syracuse to play shooting guard. He stated to me that he is a point guard, and that is the position he came to play.
Former Orange head coach Jim Boeheim did not give Copeland that opportunity in his true freshman season (2022-23), having Copeland come off of the bench with Judah Mintz as the starting point guard, who remained in for the majority of the minutes of each game.
This past season, under Adrian Autry, Copeland continued to come off of the bench, and Mintz continued to be the team's point guard. In two seasons, Copeland played in 52 games (20 in 2022-23 and all 32 in 2023-24), but started only one time, that coming in the most recent Orange campaign.
So, based on my conversation where Copeland was clear at the end of last season, this decision to leave after two years of not being trusted with the rock comes as little surprise.
With his exit, Syracuse will lose arguably their best ball-distributor on the floor in a decade, since Tyler Ennis was on the team in the 2013-14 season.
His vision, timing, and delivery along with his jump shot, transition play, and attacking of the rim have provided but a glimmer of what Copeland can be for a team.
In his two seasons with Syracuse, Copeland's averages per game went from 9.2 to 22.3 minutes, 2.1 to 9.6 points per game, 1.6 to 4.6 rebounds per game, 0.5 to 2.8 assists per game, 0.5 to 1.5 steals per game, 0.7 to 2.0 turnovers per game, and 1.3 to 2.3 fouls per game.
From his true freshman year to his sophomore year, Copeland has gone from 34.1% to 47.8% in overall field-goal percentage, including from 11.1% to 25% from beyond the arc.
The only number that moved in the negative direction was his free-throw percentage, going from 86.7% in 2022-23 to 68.3% in 2023-24.
Copeland will have two seasons of eligibility to utilize at his next institution of choice, after seemingly barely scratching the surface of the player he is on his way of becoming.
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