With 1:45 left in a tense road game against SMU, NC State point guard Quadir Copeland made a play that won’t show up in a box score-but might’ve been the difference between a clutch win and a crushing loss.
Let’s walk through it.
SMU had just hit a corner jumper to cut NC State’s lead to four. The Mustangs were answering every big shot, and the Wolfpack needed to run clock and protect their slim lead.
On the inbounds, Copeland let the ball roll up the court without touching it. At first glance, it looked like a mistake.
That’s a move we usually see when a team is trailing-you let the ball roll to preserve clock.
But Copeland wasn’t trying to save time. He was trying to burn it-and he was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers.
Here’s the nuance: after a made basket, the game clock continues to run-unless it’s under the one-minute mark. At 1:45, the clock was ticking.
But the shot clock and the 10-second backcourt count? Those don’t start until someone touches the ball.
Copeland knew that. SMU’s Boopie Miller didn’t.
So while the ball slowly rolled up the hardwood, the game clock kept draining. Thirteen full seconds ticked off before Copeland finally picked it up.
That’s thirteen seconds SMU never got back. And once he had the ball in his hands, Copeland kept draining clock, calmly setting up the offense.
Then came the next layer of brilliance.
With eight seconds on the shot clock, Copeland drove into the lane, used a pump fake to get SMU big man Tyreek Yigitoglu in the air, and drew a foul-Yigitoglu’s fourth. Copeland hit one of two free throws.
NC State ended up winning by a single point.
Now ask yourself: what if Copeland hadn’t milked those 13 seconds? What if SMU had more time to run a cleaner final possession? What if Copeland hadn’t drawn that foul and gotten to the line?
It’s not hyperbole to say that sequence may have saved the game.
And it’s not just about the clock management-it’s about the processing speed. Copeland had already played 31 minutes in a high-energy, back-and-forth game.
He was probably running on fumes. Just before that possession, NC State had gone 90 seconds without a bucket before Copeland drove and dished to Ven-Allen Lubin for a much-needed score.
SMU responded immediately to cut the lead back to four.
So in the middle of all that chaos-on the road, in crunch time-Copeland had the presence of mind to recognize the clock situation, understand the rulebook nuances, and execute a high-IQ play that most guards wouldn’t even think to attempt.
That’s not just savvy. That’s elite basketball IQ.
And when you stack that play on top of his stat line-16 assists, zero turnovers, 10 rebounds-it paints a picture of a point guard who’s not just managing the game, but controlling it. Copeland’s fingerprints were all over this win, even in the moments that won’t make the highlight reel.
Yes, the handles, the vision, the footwork, the ability to finish at the rim-those are all tools that will serve him well at the next level. But it’s his mental game, his awareness, and his ability to make winning plays in the margins that set him apart.
This wasn’t just a smart play. It was a glimpse into the kind of player Copeland is becoming-a floor general who can tilt the outcome of a game with a single decision, even when the ball hasn’t been touched yet.
And for NC State, that’s the kind of leadership that could carry them a long way as the season heats up.