Cozell McQueen, a member of NC State’s 1983 NCAA championship team, dies at 64

Cozell McQueen, a player on Jim Valvano’s famed NC State men’s basketball team that won the 1983 NCAA Championship, has died at 64, the program announced in an Aug. 5 post. McQueen was part of a roster that became one of the most memorable championship stories in modern college basketball history, both for its on-court run and for the contrast between its national profile and its postseason urgency.

The 1982-83 Wolfpack team captured the sport’s attention through the tournament’s pressure and the way Valvano’s coaching turned that pressure into momentum. McQueen’s place on that squad connected him to a championship that still anchors NC State’s basketball identity and is regularly cited when the program’s biggest moments are recalled.

McQueen’s death was made public through NC State’s social media announcement, and the report carried the age 64 as the only additional personal detail described in the initial coverage. Beyond that, publicly available reporting tied to the announcement emphasizes his connection to the championship team rather than any later pro or coaching career milestones.

For NC State and its fans, the loss is both personal and symbolic. Championship teams are defined by the shared work of role players and stars, and the 1983 title remains a touchstone for program history. With the passing of McQueen, one more link in the chain of that era is gone, even as the team’s achievement stays firmly in the program’s record books.

The timing also falls in the offseason window, when college basketball staffs and alumni communities begin preparing for the upcoming cycle. Death announcements often ripple through that community, prompting retrospectives about playing days, team chemistry, and how the Wolfpack handled the tournament’s escalating stakes.

What to watch next is whether NC State releases additional tributes that include specifics about McQueen’s role on the roster and any commemorative plans for the program’s alumni network. In the near term, basketball historians and local supporters are likely to revisit game footage and season documentation to place his contributions more precisely within the 1982-83 run.