Cozell McQueen, one of the most recognizable figures from NC State’s 1983 national title run, has died at 64, the school announced Wednesday evening.
McQueen stood 6-foot-11 and became a key part of Jim Valvano’s Wolfpack during his four seasons in Raleigh from 1981 through 1985. His death comes after a battle with a brain tumor last year that was removed and from which he fully recovered. NC State said his cause of death has not been revealed.
His passing is the fourth from the 1983 championship team, joining Valvano, Lorenzo Charles and Quinton Leonard.
A native of Paris, France, McQueen grew up in Bennettsville, S.C., before arriving at NC State and making an immediate impression under Valvano. As a freshman, he appeared in 32 games and averaged 17.3 minutes, along with 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. The next year, he was part of the title team, playing in all 36 games while averaging 3.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and shooting 43.1 percent overall.
McQueen also delivered one of the most unforgettable images in Wolfpack history after the championship win over Houston, climbing to the top of the backboard with freshman Ernie Myers while teammates below worked to cut down the nets.
He kept building over the next two seasons, appearing in all 66 games and averaging 7.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.
McQueen was selected in the fourth round of the 1985 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and later saw limited NBA action with the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers, scoring six total points.
He was inducted into the NC State Hall of Fame in 2019 along with the 1983 national championship team. The Wolfpack also honored him at the White House in 2016, and he returned to the program several times, including in 2023 for the 40th anniversary celebration of the title.
In Other News...
Auburn Fans Are Getting An Early Look At Alex Goleshs Culture
Auburns fall camp has taken on a different feel under Alex Golesh, with the Tigers spending 13 days at the Marriott Grand National as the new staff pushes for more bonding, sharper focus and fewer outside distractions. The setup is designed to keep the roster together, and the daily routine has been built around football, with officials on hand at practice to create a more game-like setting.
Golesh has made clear this is about raising the temperature of camp without letting anything drift off track. Players are being housed together in carefully chosen roommate pairings, and the whole arrangement is meant to sharpen habits before the season begins, while also giving an early glimpse of the culture he wants to build in Auburn. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Offense Already Feels Different Under Alex Golesh
Byrum Brown has already seen enough to know Auburns offense is operating with a different feel under new coordinator Alex Golesh. After the Tigers installed most of the playbook during spring practice, fall camp has been less about learning the basics and more about polishing the little things, with the emphasis shifting to situational football and getting the details right.
Brown and several other players who already know Goleshs system are helping push that process along as Auburn works to build tempo and comfort before the 2026 season. The early returns suggest the offense is settling in faster than a typical reboot, even if the real test still waits once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Freshman WR Is Already Forcing People To Notice
DeShawn Spencer arrived in Auburn with a little more intrigue than star power, and that has only made his early buzz more interesting. The former Duke commit flipped to the Tigers and now has people inside the program talking about a freshman wide receiver who has already stood out in practices and offseason work, even if he did not come in with the kind of national ranking that usually turns heads right away. Coaches and teammates have pointed to his football intelligence, work ethic and maturity as reasons he has earned attention this early under head coach Alex Golesh.
For Auburn, the bigger picture is what Spencer might mean in the 2026 season if that early promise keeps building. Immediate playing time is still uncertain, but the tone around him has been unusually strong for a player just starting out, which is why he is becoming one of those names fans tend to remember once camp conversations start heating up. In a receiver room that is always being sorted by opportunity and trust, Spencer has already done the first part of the job: making people notice. [Read more 🡒]