Cozell Mcqueen, Player On Nc State 1983 Championship Team, Dies At 64

Cozell McQueen, a member of Jim Valvano's famed 1982-83 North Carolina State basketball team that won the NCAA championship, has died, the team announced in an Aug. 5 social media post.

He was 64 years old.

We are saddened by the passing of Cozell McQueen, who proudly wore the Red and White from 1981-85 and was a member of our unforgettable 1983 National Championship team.⁰

Our thoughts are with his family, friends, teammates and all who knew him. pic.twitter.com/VTWI5F9u4l

— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) August 6, 2026

McQueen was a sophomore backup center on the Wolfpack team that later spawned the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, "Survive and Advance." In 36 games that season, he averaged 3.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game on 43.1% shooting from the field.

He shot 7-of-18 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free throw line during the Wolfpack's NCAA tournament run. His best game came in the Final Four against Georgia, against whom he scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting while securing 13 rebounds. In the NCAA championship game against heavily favored Houston, McQueen — defending Hakeem Olajuwon — scored four points while bringing in 12 rebounds.

He started 66 games over his junior and senior seasons, averaging 7.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game over his four-year career in Raleigh. He went on to become a fourth-round pick (91st overall) in the 1985 NBA Draft to the Milwaukee Bucks. He played three games in the NBA in 1986-87 for the Detroit Pistons.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cozell McQueen, player on NC State 1983 championship team, dies at 64