Syracuse men’s basketball 22-23 roster preview: Quadir Copeland

With another season behind us, we’re looking ahead to the 2022-23 Syracuse Orange men’s basketball roster. We’ll look at the players that we anticipate will be returning, as well as the incoming recruits. Next up on the agenda is Guard Quadir Copeland.

Season Recap

Quadir Copeland is a 6’6” Point Guard from Gettysburg, PA. He was recruited by Gerry McNamara and chose SU over UConn, LaSalle, Maryland, Miami (FL), Oklahoma, Oregon, and Penn State. The IMG Academy alum committed to Syracuse on August 11, the second confirmed Orange signee after Justin Taylor.

247 Sports had Copeland as the Number 21 recruit at his position; ESPN ranked him even higher at Number 19.

On the court, Copeland racked up 22.1 points, 11 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game as a junior at Gettysburg Area HS before going to Life Center Academy in New Jersey for the 2021-22 season and joining Taylor at IMG this past year. Though his numbers dipped a bit, he still averaged around 17 points each night.

Next Steps

Before the Orange landed Judah Mintz, I would have given Copeland a chance at a starting role, with Joe Girard sliding over to his natural shooting guard spot. Now... I’m not so sure. JGIII should still rotate out of the point, but barring injury, the two new guards could both see significant playing time. I think Copeland fits in as a 6 or 7 for now, but one that sees the court far more than the SU bench did this past season.

In his own words, Copeland is a “pass-first” player who will look to set up the rest of Syracuse’s offensive weapons. Assistant Coach Gerry McNamara brought him in to do just that. Jim Boeheim even called him his “favorite point guard” when he made his decision to come to SU (I’m sure I just triggered a civil Girard conversation yet again). Being that Jim plans to have two or three freshmen starting in the fall, Copeland should make an immediate contribution to the club and at least come in during conservative/clock-drain opportunities.