This is Sam Vecenie’s analysis of Quadir in The Athletic. It’s Pretty spot on. I wish we’d been able to make it work with him.
Not many players can realistically call themselves the best athlete in the portal, but Copeland is one of them. He’s lightning in a bottle on a basketball court, averaging 9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals in just 22 minutes per game last season while playing some point guard and some off the ball for the Orange. He does things on the court that few can, from long hang-time finger rolls to spinning, whirling layups. His jump stops seem to cover eight feet, which is absurd.
Copeland pairs those athletic gifts with tremendous passing ability. He reads ball screens well and throws some of the most impressive live-dribble passes you’ll ever see on a court. I’m taking 20-foot wrap-arounds into tight windows, hook passes to rollers with ease, touch lobs, sharp dump-offs and more.
There is a wildness to his game that can be both intoxicating and frustrating for his team. He’ll turn the ball trying to do the spectacular. On top of that, he can’t really shoot. He made just 25 percent of his 3s and did not look particularly comfortable taking them in any circumstance.
But sometimes, the lightbulb comes on in a hurry with guys this athletic and with such a natural feel for the game. If it does, he might be truly special. Maybe he merely ends up as an impact backup like he was at Syracuse. But if he hits, he’s really going to hit. — Sam Vecenie
