Syracuse Basketball: 2022 PG Quadir Copeland having stellar junior term

Ever since Syracuse basketball offered a scholarship to 2022 three-star point guard Quadir Copeland this past November, an abundance of Orange fans has expressed delight on social media about the potential for Copeland to suit up in a ‘Cuse uniform.

The 6-foot-6 Copeland, a junior at the Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J., where former Syracuse basketball star Dion Waiters also played, boasts tremendous athleticism and size, making him a perfect fit in the Orange’s 2-3 zone.

The under-rated Copeland, a three-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite and 247Sports, excels on both ends of the floor, and he is putting up some impressive statistics to date in the current term for the Life Center Academy.

Per Copeland’s bio on nj.com, he is averaging 16.5 points, 5.07 rebounds and 4.79 assists a game, along with more than two steals per encounter. Copeland’s bio on this Web site will also provide details on how the Life Center Academy is faring so far in the 2020-21 campaign.

According to previous reports, Copeland collected about 22 points per game a stanza ago, when he played for Gettysburg Area High School in Gettysburg, Pa., before transferring to the Life Center Academy.

Syracuse basketball 2022 target Quadir Copeland is shining in his junior term.

Per a review of various recruiting Web sites, Copeland has a total of eight offers, from the ‘Cuse, Oregon, Miami, Maryland, Penn State, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s and Siena.

Last month, in an article by Mike McAllister, the publisher of SyracuseOnSI, Copeland said that “Oregon, LaSalle and Miami are all pursuing while Villanova, which has not offered, is also in touch.”

Copeland undoubtedly will continue to see his list of offers expand. And his existing offers already mean some fierce competition for the Orange. Oregon, for one, is contending for a Pac-12 Conference title in 2020-21 and went to the Final Four in 2017.

Villanova, if it offers Copeland, would present a huge challenge for Syracuse basketball as well. The Wildcats, winners of the 2016 and 2018 national championships, have also owned the Big East Conference in recent years.

Copeland is having one heck of a season for the Life Center Academy, and as we detailed in a recent column, he’s equally as terrific off the court.

The 247Sports Composite ranks Copeland at No. 164 overall in the 2022 cycle, as well as No. 24 at combo guard and No. 9 in Pennsylvania. He is the No. 26 combo guard and the No. 9 prospect in Pennsylvania, according to 247Sports.