Jim Boeheim’s team got better on Tuesday when 2022 Rivals150 No. 85 Quadir Copeland committed to the Orange on Tuesday evening. Jamie Shaw breaks down what this means for Syracuse.
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MORE RECRUITING NEWS: Kansas lands four-star forward M.J. Rice
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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WHAT IS SYRACUSE GETTING
Copeland is a big guard. He stands 6-foot-6 and he is going to a program that has done very well with big guards. Copeland has long arms and a lot of flash to his game. His vision and ability to see the floor is high level. He can get a little out of control at times, but that comes from his trying to create something and it can be reigned in. Copeland has great pace, understands angles and how to get to his spots and touch the paint. The jump shot is streaky but serviceable, and Copeland will fit right into that zone defense with his length and anticipation.
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WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE ORANGE
Copeland is Syracuse’s third Rivals150 commitment of the 2022 class. The Brandenton (Fla.) IMG Academy post graduate point guard joins No. 54 Justin Taylor (6-6/small forward) and No. 30 Kamari Lands (6-6/forward). This is on the heels of bringing in a 2021 class that consisted of Rivals150 No. 18 Benny Williams (6-8/forward). Stacking these classes together gives Copeland an embarrassment of riches to spread the ball around. The length that Syracuse has recruited fits right into that famous 2-3 zone. Michael Carter-Williams will be the easy comparison for people to draw here, but like we said, Syracuse has had a lot of success with bigger guards in the past. Put shooters around Copeland and everyone will be happy.
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COACH’S CORNER
"Quadir is a long, athletic, playmaking point guard. His size and vision allow him to make plays for others that a lot of point guards can’t make. He is capable of getting to the paint and making plays for himself and teammates. His length on defense allows him to guard multiple positions in the modern game of basketball where a lot of people switch. His length will also cause havoc at the top of the Syracuse 2-3 zone.” - IMG post graduate head coach Chad Myers
